Anacardium, the cashews, are a genus of in the family Anacardiaceae, native to Tropics regions of the Americas. The best known species is Anacardium occidentale, 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 aged
Messel Pit of Germany, well outside the current range of the genus.
They were present in the Americas by the
Oligocene-
Miocene, as evidenced by the species
Anacardium gassonii from Panama.
, the PoWO ( Plants of the World Online) accepts 13 species:
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Anacardium amapaense J.D.Mitch.
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Anacardium amilcarianum Machado
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Anacardium brasiliense Barb.Rodr.
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Anacardium caracolii Mutis ex Alba
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Anacardium corymbosum Barb.Rodr.
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Anacardium excelsum Carl Linnaeus
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Anacardium fruticosum J.Mitch. & S.A.Mori
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Anacardium giganteum (Bertero & Balb. ex Kunth) Skeels
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Anacardium humile Hance ex Engl.
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Anacardium microsepalum Loes.
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Anacardium nanum A.St.-Hil.
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Anacardium occidentale L.
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Anacardium parvifolium Ducke
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