Anacardiaceae
Anacardium L.
Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Genus Parent: Anacardiaceae Status: Valid
Common Names:
- Cashew - English, Peru
Vegetative Morphology
Habit: Shrubs and trees to 30 m.
Leaves: Leaves simple.
Reproductive Morphology
Fruit: Fruit a drupe in the form of a kidney, to 3.5 cm long, brown when mature, exposed at the end of a characteristic thickened peduncle, the hypocarp, which is carnose, aromatic, edible, and yellow or red when mature.
Infructescence: Infructescence terminal.
Seeds: One seed per fruit.
Other
Uses: One species (A. occidentale) is cultivated in many regions of the world as the source of the cashew nut of commerce.
Distribution: Native to the American tropics.