RELATIVES OF THE MANGO 



147 



To see the cashew at its best, one must visit the markets of 

 Bahia or some other city of the Brazilian coast. Here, during 

 the short season in which they ripen, immense heaps of cashews 

 are piled up on every side. Its brilliant shades of color, varying 

 from yellow to scarlet, and its characteristic and penetrating 

 aroma combine to make 

 this one of the most 

 enticing of all tropical 

 fruits. 



The cashew is a 

 spreading evergreen 

 tree growing up to 40 

 feet in height. One of 

 the early voyagers, 

 Father Simam de Vas- 

 concellos, speaks of it 

 as " the most handsome 

 of all the trees of Amer- 

 ica," for which extrava- 

 gant statement Father 

 Tavares takes him to 

 task. The cashew can- 

 not fairly be called 

 handsome; indeed, it 

 is oftentimes awkward 

 or ungainly in habit, 

 with crooked trunk and 

 branches. The leaves, 

 which are clustered to- 

 ward the ends of the stiff branchlets, are oblong-oval or oblong- 

 obovate in form, rounded or sometimes emarginate at the apex, 

 and acute to cuneate at the base. They vary between 4 and 8 

 inches in length, and 2 and 3 inches in breadth. 



The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 6 to 10 inches 



FIG. 22. Foliage, flowers, and fruit of the 

 cashew (Anacardium occidentale) . The kidney- 

 shaped seed (properly speaking, the fruit) con- 

 tains an edible kernel of delicious flavor, while 

 the fleshy portion (fruit-stalk) above it is filled 

 with aromatic juice, and may be used in many 

 ways. (X about \) 



