Anacardium occidentale
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Anacardium occidentale Common Names: Cashew tree, cashew nut tree, cashewnut
tree, cashew [English]; Anacardier, cajou [French]; anacardo, maranon, merey
[Spanish]; cajueiro, acaju, acajaíba, acajuíba, caju-comum, cajueiro-comum,
cajuil, caju-manso, cajuzeiro, ocaju [Portuguese]; kasjoeboom [Afrikaans];
kasjoeboom, acajouboom, olifantsluisboom [Dutch]; কাজু বাদাম [Bengali]; કાજુ [Gujarati]; काजू [Hindi]; काजू [Maharati]; มะม่วงหิมพานต์ [Thai]; đao lon hot
[Vietnamese] Scientific Classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Anacardiaceae Genus: Anacardium Species: A. occidentale Synonyms: Acajuba
occidentalis (L.) Gaertn., Anacardium microcarpum Ducke, Cassuvium pomiferum
Lam. Basic Description Anacardium occidentale is a tropical evergreen tree that can grow
up to 12 meters in height. It has a short and often irregularly shaped trunk.
The leaves are simple, alternate, oval to obovate in shape, with smooth
margins. One of its most distinct features is the cashew fruit, which consists
of two parts: the colorful cashew apple (a pseudofruit) and the cashew nut,
which is enclosed in a hard shell hanging below the apple. Distribution and Habitat Native to northeastern Brazil, the cashew tree has been introduced
and is now cultivated in many tropical regions around the world, including
India, Vietnam, Nigeria, and the Philippines. It prefers well-drained soils and
can tolerate relatively poor soil conditions. Medicinal Properties
⚠ Known Toxicity The shell contains anacardic acid causing skin irritation. Cashew
allergies affect 6% of children/3% of adults with potential anaphylaxis risk.
Shell compounds (phenolic lipids, cardanol) cause contact dermatitis. Nuts are
never sold in shells due to dermatitis risk. Cardanol from shells is being
researched for nanomaterial applications. Additional Information
References
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| Compounds of Anacardium occidentale |
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