Cashew AncardiaAnacardiaceae occidentaleTheresa Elder04/17/13

Anacardiaceae occidentale

Related to American poison ivy and poison sumac as well as mango and pistachioAnacardium “upward heart” refers to fruitOther names Tupi acaju and Portuguese caju, marañon in Spanish

Morphology Large evergreen tree 10-14m tall irregular shaped trunk

Flowers are in a panicle up to 26cm long, there are 5 acute slender petals mixed male, female, and both male and female

The actual fruit is the nut or drupe cashew seed, surrounded by a double shell, green turns red

Between shells is oil chemically related to urushiol

A second false fruit, pseudocarp, known as the cashew apple is developed from the swollen stem; yellow, orange or red 5-11cm long

The cashew apple is edible

Geography of Cultivation

Native to Northeast Brazil 16th century Portuguese traders introduced to Goa, India

as soil retainer Spread to NE Asia, Africa, and near by islands Also grown in coastal US states Some areas cultivate apple while others

Features of cultivation

Grown in subtropical and tropical climates

Tolerates poor soil, drought, and salt air

Prefers high humidity 3 years from planting

to cultivation

Features of cultivationCashew nut (drupe)

Fruits picked by hand or fall together Nuts are sun dried then roasted outdoors

or in roasting cylinders Inner shells broken by hand heated

again to remove skin

Cashew apple

Fragile skin unsuitable to transport

Perishable: yeast and fungi species

Can be eaten raw Fruit pressure

steamed before being candied or made into juice, jams, chutneys, and alcohol due to tannins

Nutrition and medical uses 1cashew nut & tree

Common snack food and used Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mozambique and other country cuisine

Oil is topical antifungal, antiseptic. Kills worms

Ground seeds antivenom for snake bites

Cashew nutshell liquid treat tooth abscesses

Bark soaked or boiled as antidiarrheal

Gum used as varnish Wood used in construction 54% fats and oils Rich in Anacardic acid Rich in vitamin C and mineral salts

treats premature aging

Nutrition and medical uses 2Cashew apple

5x more vitamin C than orange Digestive disorders Fever reducer Gargle for sore throat In Brazil, relieve pains/ aches

from neurasthenia & arthritis Stimulates brain and memory Said to increase resistance to

venereal diseases Enhanced fat oxidation during

exercise and endurance performance

Tikuna: influenza, relieve warts, 3 antitumor compounds

Cajueiro de Pirangi

World’s largest cashew tree covers and area of 7,500 m² in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

References

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/7_Heads/Fruit%20Trees/Cashew_Nuts_fruit_1.jpg

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cashew_app

le.html http://cashewyjuice.com/english/aboutus.html http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/13/ http://www.phukethealthshop.com/2011/01/10/concentrat

ed-cashew-apple-juice-thailand/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/97939/cashew

http://belizeplants.blogspot.com/

References 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maior_cajueiro_do_mundo http://www.natal-brazil.com/entertainment/cashew-tree.html http://listsoplenty.com/blog/?p=10749 http://www.hobotraveler.com/2008-0041-Cashew-Nut.shtml http://

depositphotos.com/12692011/stock-photo-Cashew-nut-tree.html

http://www.treepicturesonline.com/cashew_tree_pictures.html http://www.goquangphuc.com/en/product/cashew-wood.html http://www.21food.com/products/raw-cashew-nut-377802.html