Anacardium occidentale

Trunk is 10-25 cm in diameter and branches are crooked. Leaves are simple, alternate, 6-20 x 4-15 cm, with short petioles. Blades are leathery, glabrous, obovate, with rounded apices and entire margins. Inflorescence is a terminal up to 20 cm long panicle-like cluster commonly bearing male and hermaphroditic 5-merous flowers. Sepals are narrow, green, 5 mm long. Petals are linear, 1 cm long, reflexed in open flowers, first pale greenish-cream with red stripes, later turning red. The male flowers are the most numerous and usually bear 1 long functional stamen and several small ones which may not be functional. The true fruit of cashew is the kidney-shaped, greyish-brown nut (achene), which dries and does not split open. Inside the hard pericarp is a 2.5 cm long curved seed, the edible cashew nut. As the nut matures, the stalk (pedicel, receptacle and disc) at the base enlarges into the fleshy fruitlike structure, broadest at the apex, popularly known as the fruit (cashew apple). This thin-skinned, shiny, red or yellow, edible cashew fruit has a light yellow spongy flesh, which is very juicy.