Cashew tree
Cashew Tree (Anacardium occidentale)
The Cashew Tree (Anacardium occidentale), is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple. It can grow as high as 14 m (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 m (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.
Pronunciation
Cashew Tree: /ˈkaSHˌo͞o/ /trē/
Etymology
The name "cashew" comes from the Portuguese word "caju", which itself is derived from the indigenous Tupi name, "acaju", meaning "nut that produces itself".
Description
The cashew tree has a branching main trunk and characteristic domed crown. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4–22 cm long and 2–15 cm broad, with a smooth margin. The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymb up to 26 cm long, each flower small, pale green at first, then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals 7–15 mm long.
Cultivation and Uses
The cashew tree is cultivated for its fruit; the cashew nut and the cashew apple. The nut is often used in recipes, while the apple is frequently processed into juices, jams, and even alcohol.
Related Terms
- Cashew Nut: The seed harvested from the Cashew Tree.
- Cashew Apple: The fruit that accompanies the cashew nut on the tree.
- Anacardium: The genus of flowering plants that the Cashew Tree belongs to.
- Evergreen: A type of tree that retains green leaves throughout the year.
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