**Description of Anacardiaceae**:
– Anacardiaceae consists of trees or shrubs with inconspicuous flowers and resinous or milky sap.
– Resin canals are present in the fibrovascular system in stems, roots, and leaves.
– The wood of Anacardiaceae often displays simple small holes in vessels.
– Leaves are typically deciduous or evergreen, usually arranged alternately.
– Flowers of Anacardiaceae have bracts and may be bisexual or unisexual.
**Taxonomy of Anacardiaceae**:
– Bernard de Jussieu classified plants into Terebintaceæ in 1759, laying the groundwork for later classifications.
– Antoine Laurent de Jussieu published a classification scheme in 1789, further refining the taxonomy.
– The genus Pistacia has been considered for its own family but is likely part of Anacardiaceae.
– The family has been divided into subfamilies by various botanists, with changes and reinstatements over time.
**Ecology of Anacardiaceae**:
– Anacardiaceae is more abundant in warm or tropical regions globally.
– The family is native to tropical Americas, Africa, and India, with some species found in southern Europe and the Americas.
– Few species of Anacardiaceae are found in temperate zones, with Pistacia and Rhus species distributed across various regions.
**Uses of Anacardiaceae**:
– Anacardiaceae produces economically important crops such as cashews, pistachios, mangoes, and marula fruits.
– Some species of Anacardiaceae are used for producing fluids for varnish, tanning, and dyes.
– Toxicodendron vernicifluum sap is utilized for lacquer production.
– Members of the family have varied industrial and culinary uses, contributing significantly to nut and fruit production.
**Etymology and Historical References**:
– The name “Anacardium” refers to the nut, core, or heart of the fruit, with its etymology rooted in Greek.
– The family name “Anacardiaceae” has origins in the Greek terms “ana” meaning upward and “cardium” meaning heart.
– Various historical references and taxonomic classifications have contributed to the understanding and classification of Anacardiaceae.
The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce urushiol, an irritant. The Anacardiaceae include numerous genera, several of which are economically important, notably cashew (in the type genus Anacardium), mango, Chinese lacquer tree, yellow mombin, Peruvian pepper, poison ivy, poison oak, sumac, smoke tree, marula and cuachalalate. The genus Pistacia (which includes the pistachio and mastic tree) is now included, but was previously placed in its own family, the Pistaciaceae.
Anacardiaceae | |
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Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Anacardiaceae (R.Br.) Lindl. |
Subfamilies | |