Taxon:  Anacardium occidentale L.



Summary
Genus:
Anacardium
Family:
Anacardiaceae
Subfamily:
Anacardioideae
Nomen number:
3060
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:383.  1753
Verified:
11/24/1986 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
53 (5  active, 1  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Anacardium microcarpum Ducke
Anacardium othonianum Rizzini

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)
Fruit

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  4. de Paiva, J. R. et al. 2009. Chapter 9. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) breeding: a global perspective. In: Jain, S. M. & P.M. Priyadarshan, eds., Breeding plantation tree crops: tropical species 287-324.
  5. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  6. Edições Melhoramentes. 1979. The new Michaelis illustrated dictionary (Novo Michaelis dicionário ilustrado), ed. 22/24 Note: Edições Melhoramentes, São Paulo, Brazil
  7. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  8. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
  9. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  10. Fosberg, F. R. et al. 1979-1982. Geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae/ Pteridophyta and Gymnospermae.
  11. Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops Academic Press.
  12. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  13. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  14. IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
  15. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  16. Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
  17. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  18. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  19. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  20. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  21. Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936-. Flora of Peru Note: 1936-1971; new ser. 1980-
  22. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  23. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  24. Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
  25. Perez Arbelaez, E. 1947. Plantas utiles de Colombia.
  26. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  27. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  28. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  29. Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
  30. Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
  31. Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
  32. Standley, P. C. 1920. Trees and shrubs of Mexico. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 23:1-1721.
  33. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  34. Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
  35. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  36. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
  37. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcashew  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishcashewnut  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Chineseyao guo腰果属 2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Dutchacajoeboom  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Dutchwestindische Nierenboom  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Frenchanacardier  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchcajou  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
GermanAcajubaum  2Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
GermanKaschubaum  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanNierenbaum  2Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
Portuguesecajú  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesecajueiro  2Edições Melhoramentes. 1979. The new Michaelis illustrated dictionary (Novo Michaelis dicionário ilustrado), ed. 22/24 Note: Edições Melhoramentes, São Paulo, Brazil
Spanishanacardo  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishcajuil  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Spanishmarañón  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishmerey  2Perez Arbelaez, E. 1947. Plantas utiles de Colombia.
Swedishcashew  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaFrench Guiana  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaGuyana  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaSuriname  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuela  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombia  Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
2CultivatedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2CultivatedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2CultivatedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2CultivatedAsia-TemperateChinaChina s.Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2CultivatedAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
2CultivatedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil  Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
Native
Southern America
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
  • BRAZIL: Brazil
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia
Cultivated
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China (s.)
  • EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka
  • INDO-CHINA: Myanmar, Thailand
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil

Reference(s)
  1. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  2. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  3. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  4. Mitchell, J. & S. Mori. 1987. The cashew and its relatives (Anacardium: Anacardiaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 42:38.
  5. Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:60-64.
  6. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Human foodbeverage base Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Human foodfruit"fruit" actually from swollen pedicelMabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Human foodnut Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Materialsbeads Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
Materialsgum/resin Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Materialslipids Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=3060. Accessed 17 April 2026.