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September 2, 2007 : Anacardium occidentale
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Keywords: Anacardiaceae | Anacardium occidentale L. | cultivated in Coronado, Panama
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks to “Shyzaboy@UBC BG Forums” of Troutville, Virginia for today's photograph from Panama. Images from the tropics are very welcome!
Although native to northeast Brazil, the cashew is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. Illustrated in today's photograph are both the double-shelled kidney-shaped fruit containing the cashew nut and the apple-like pseudofruit (cashew apple). Both the cashew nut and cashew apple are edible, but extra effort is required to extract the cashew nut; its double-shell contains urushiol, the same oil found in poison ivy.
Read more about cashew via Wikipedia and Morton's Fruits of Warm Climates.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at September 2, 2007 1:00 AM
Comments
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Posted by: Carol at September 2, 2007 6:28 AM
The oil is an article of commerce, and is used in Japanese lacquer, and a plastic.
Posted by: Big Al at September 2, 2007 7:08 AM
I get Poison Ivy really bad - or I used to when I was young - and I LOVE cashews........
Posted by: Oldf at September 2, 2007 8:16 AM
My does that gorgeous photo bring back memories. I used to live in the Caribbean and we made juice out of the cashew apples. So yummy and good for you. It is one of the things I miss about the islands.
Posted by: Mary at September 2, 2007 10:21 AM
Fascinating! I had no idea that was how cashews grew. It's beautiful.
With mechanized extracting methods, I assume getting the nut out of the shell isn't a big problem anymore. But it does make one wonder who first decided it was worth getting "poison ivy" to get at the nut!
Posted by: Lynne at September 2, 2007 1:01 PM
Cashews are my favorite nut. Marvelous picture.
Had no idea they looked like that. It is great because I love to learn something new each day.
Thank you.
Posted by: Barbara at September 2, 2007 3:27 PM
Cashew shell burns are still a serious problem for poorly-paid, poorly-protected workers extracting the nuts in the third world.
This is something where buying 'fair trade' from a company that has good ethical practice will definitely make a difference.
Posted by: Michael F at September 2, 2007 5:58 PM
This a wonderful photograph and so much to learn. I do like cashews but seldom have them. This lets me understand the price of them. I would not have thought the fruit was so colourful.
Thank you for todays Photo.
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at September 2, 2007 6:11 PM
There are those who have become so allergic to urushiol from poison-oak (or ivy) that they also have reactions from peeling mangos and cashews--other relatives in the Anacardiaceae.
Posted by: Andrea at September 2, 2007 7:34 PM
When I was in my teens and always ravenous I would sometimes get a jar of raw cashew butter and pig out. If I ate too much my skin would break out in a dermatitis indistinguishable to that from poison ivy.
Posted by: George L. 
at September 2, 2007 7:49 PM
hi.. i'm from the Philippines and I am so pleased to see this picture in here.. it brings back memories from my childhood.. i love this tree. i used to climb it, pick the nuts and roast it.. that's the only way we can get that tasty nut inside otherwise we'll get itchy..
Posted by: Jennifer at September 2, 2007 10:46 PM
Hello, just a side comment. When I was in Belize a creole village would use the cashew fruit to create cashew wine. Very good stuff. That's the only time I've heard of it being used for alcohol.
Posted by: Bethany at September 3, 2007 6:23 AM
What a wonderful looking tree, and had no idea how cashews grew or were harvested.
I live in Hawaii and our 'Mountain Apple' tree bears fruit that looks very similar without the cashew. Wish it had the cashew.
Posted by: Dawn at September 9, 2007 1:16 PM
I think that some processors freeze the nut in its shell to prevent the oil spilling when it is split open.
Posted by: Gerry at September 17, 2007 5:30 PM
It's really nice, what i've never seen.
Posted by: Abu Hanif at December 26, 2007 1:24 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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If the shell contains urushiol, wouldn't that present a problem to those who "get" poison ivy? I would think it would be difficult, if not almost impossible, to get rid of any traces of the urushiol from the nuts.
Carol