Cashew Family (Anacardiaceae) - Edible Species Of The Cashew Family, Other Useful Species, Ornamental Species, Wild Species Occurring In North America
fruits people eaten seeded
The cashew family (Anacardiaceae) is a group of about 600 species of plants, most of which are tropical in distribution, although some occur in the temperate zone.
Maturing pistachio (Pistacia vera) nuts on a tree in California. © Holt Studios International, National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced with permission.
Almost all members of the cashew family are trees or shrubs, though some are vines. Many species have foliage, fruits, or bark on the stems and roots that contain acrid, an often milky resin, and saps that are irritating or poisonous if touched or eaten. The leaves are typically compound, with at least three if not more leaflets per leaf. The flowers are small, five-parted, insect pollinated, and arranged in compact inflorescences. The fruits are either a one-seeded drupe or a many-seeded berry, and are generally eaten and dispersed by birds or small mammals.
The fruits of some species in the cashew family are an important source of food for people, while other species are used in horticulture. Many species are considered to be important weeds because they are poisonous, often causing a severe dermatitis (rash) in exposed people.
Additional Topics
Various nuts and other fruits are obtained from species in the cashew family. The cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is the source of kidney-shaped cashew nuts. The cashew was originally from northeastern South America, but it is now planted widely throughout the humid tropics. The seedcoat of the fruit contains a toxic oil, and the raw cashew nut is also poisonous if eaten by people. However, the to…
The lacquer tree (Rhus verniciflua) occurs in China and Japan, where the viscous, milky sap of this plant has long been collected and applied as a natural varnish to fine wood carvings and furniture. The sap turns dark after oxidation in the atmosphere, providing an attractive, glossy coating to oriental lacquerware. A lacquer finish is resistant to heat, moisture, acid, alkali, and alcohol, and i…
Various species in the cashew family are native to North America. One of the more familiar groups includes species of vines and shrubs in the genus Toxicodendron, many of which contain a toxic oil that causes a contact dermatitis in people exposed to crushed foliage, stems, or roots. It appears that some people develop an increased sensitivity to this toxic oil with increased exposure. Many people…
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