''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the family

Anacardiaceae The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...

, native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The best known species is ''

Anacardium occidentale The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus '' Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cu ...

,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.

Etymology

The name ''Anacardium'', originally from the Greek, actually refers to the nut, core or heart of the fruit, which is outwardly located (ana means "upwards" and -cardium means "heart").

Taxonomy

The oldest species of the genus ''Anacardium'' is ''Anacardium germanicum'' from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

aged

Messel Pit The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused quarry near the village of Messel (Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hesse) about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of well-preserved ...

of Germany, well outside the current range of the genus. They were present in the Americas by the Oligocene-

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

, as evidenced by the species ''Anacardium gassonii'' from Panama. , the ''Plants of the World Online'' accepts 20 species: *''

Anacardium amapaense ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' J.D.Mitch. *''

Anacardium amilcarianum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Machado *''

Anacardium brasiliense ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Barb.Rodr. *'' Anacardium caracolii'' Mutis ex Alba *'' Anacardium corymbosum'' Barb.Rodr. *'' Anacardium curatellifolium'' A.St.-Hil. *'' Anacardium excelsum'' L. — Wild cashew *''

Anacardium fruticosum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' J.Mitch. & S.A.Mori *'' Anacardium giganteum'' (Bertero & Balb. ex Kunth) Skeels — Caja acu, also known as wild cashew, used medicinally *'' Anacardium humile'' Hance ex Engl. *''

Anacardium kuhlmannianum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Machado *''

Anacardium microsepalum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' *''

Anacardium nanum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' A.St.-Hil. *''

Anacardium negrense ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Pires & Froes *''

'' L. — Cashew *''

Anacardium othonianum ''Anacardium othonianum'' is a tree native from the tropical savanna (''cerrado'') region of Brazil, whose fruit is similar to (but smaller than) that of the common cashew tree ('' A. occidentale'') of the Brazilian Northeast. It is locally kno ...

'' Rizzini *''

Anacardium parvifolium ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Ducke *''

Anacardium rondonianum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Machado *''

Anacardium spruceanum ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Benth. ex Engl. *''

Anacardium tenuifolium ''Anacardium'', the cashews, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The best known species is ''Anacardium occidentale,'' which is commercially cultivated for its cashew nuts and c ...

'' Ducke

References

External links

Anacardiaceae genera {{Anacardiaceae-stub