The Cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a small, evergreen tree, from the family Anacardiaceae). The Cashew Road and Cashew MRT along the Down-Town Line, in Singapore, are named after it.
🌰The tree grows up to 12m tall and has a wide dome shaped crown and its foliage forms a thin peripheral canopy with protruding inflorescences.
🌰Leaves are simple, leathery, obovate, with smooth margins and prominent venation. They are alternately and spirally arranged in whorls.
🌰Flowers are produced in terminal panicles or corymbs, about 10 – 20 cm long, each flower is small, pale green at first, then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals and are pollinated by honey bees, flies and possibly ants.
🌰It produces two fruits, the cashew apple and cashew nut. However, the cashew nut is the true fruit whereas the cashew apple is actually the swollen fruit stalk. Stem will ooze out a clear gum when injured.
🌰The cashew apple can be eaten fresh, preserved as jam or sweetmeat, mixed fruit salads and can be prepared as a drink. Cashew apple juice can be slightly fermented to become wine and can be distilled to produce strong alcoholic drinks.
🌰Both the fruit bark juice and the nut oil are said to be folk remedies for calluses, corns, warts, cancerous ulcers, and even elephantiasis.
🌰Poultry feeds are made from seed-coats. Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), an oil, also has industrial applications and can be used as a preservative to treat wooden structures and fishing nets.
🌰The wood can also be used as fuel or low quality timber. It is also used to produced charcoal. Tree bark is used in tanning.
🌰Extraction from the astringent barks has been used to treat severe diarrhea. Older leaves are used in the treatment of skin afflictions and burns. Oily substances from the pericarp are used to heal cracks in the feet. The bark is used to make herb tea to treat asthma, colds and congestion. Seed oil is used in the treatment of gingivitis, malaria, and syphilitic ulcers. Bark and leaves are used to treat sore gums and toothache. The extraction of the leaves is gargled to cure sore throat. The resin is used for cold treatment.
Scientific name: Anacardium occidentale
Common name: Cashew, Kaju
Family: Anacardiaceae
Native Distribution: Tropical America
Source:
NParks flora&fauna web
Picture credits: Joseph Ooi
Reference
Plants of Singapore
An evergreen, little tree in the Anacardiaceae family is the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale). In Singapore, it has the names Cashew Road and Cashew MRT along the Down-Town Line. Cashew Guide
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