POISONOUS AND INJURIOUS PLANTS 1] 
thickened stem. Cashew trees belong to the same group of plants 
as mango, Christmasbush, and the well-known stateside poison-ivy. 
The trees usually blossom from January through March; propagation 
is by seeds or cuttings. 
DistrintTion AnD Haprrat.—The cashew tree is rare in the Virgin 
Islands but it is widely distributed; it is planted as a shade tree and 
for its edible fruit. It is most commonly found in waste grounds 
around villages, in yards and public parks, and occasionally along 
roads. 
Toxiciry AND Symproms.—The cashew tree produces a peculiar 
fruit, which consists of an enlarged stem (cashew apple) and the true 
fruit (cashew nut). The cashew apple is yellow and edible (45). 
The cashew nut is composed of the kernel surrounded by the shell. 
The shell contains cardol (47), which is a severe irritant to the skin, 
and anacardic acid (54). Cardol is an effective insecticide and is used 
commercially to protect books, floors, and furniture against certain 1n- 
sects. Cashew nuts are made edible by roasting the unshelled kernel 
until all the cardol has been evaporated. Fumes from roasting cashew 
are highly irritating and should not be allowed to come in contact 
with the skin. After roasting, the kernel is perfectly edible and may 
be removed from its shel] without danger to the remover. Symptoms 
produced by sap from the raw cashew nut include inflammation and 
irritation of the skin, blisters, itching, burning, and open sores. In 
severe cases the infection may be carried by the blood to other parts 
of the body. 
MANAGEMENT AND Controu.—The scarcity of cashew trees through- 
out the Virgin Islands minimizes their potential danger to livestock 
and control measures are unnecessary. Necessary precautions should 
be taken to prevent animals from eating the poisonous fruits. 
Papaveraceae, or Poppy, Family 
Argemone mexicana L. (fig. 4) 
Thistleroot, Thistle, Mexican Poppy 
Descrietion.—This spiny, annual weed with attractive, large, yellow 
or orange-yellow flowers is usually 2 to 3 feet high in favorable loca- 
tions. The plants usually have one central stem ; however, occasionally 
some have a few short branches. The elongated, irregularly lobed, 
stemless leaves are spiny toothed on the margin and usually spiny on 
the midvein; they are variegated with white. Some leaves may meas- 
ure 10 inches in length but most are shorter. They occur alternately 
on the stem, except that the uppermost leaves are sometimes opposite. 
When cut or injured, the plant exudes a yellow acrid sap. The cup- 
shaped flowers, which are about 2 inches across, are borne on short 
stems at the ends of the branches and have 4 to 6 yellow petals. The 
oblong, shallow-grooved fruits are fleshy, prickly, inflated capsules. 
They are 2 to 3 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter, and streaked 
with dull white. The capsule turns light brown at maturity and 
opens at the apex to shed numerous small, black, oval seeds, which are 
scattered by animals and birds. Reproduction is by seeds, and the 
plants die after producing a seed crop. The prickles on the leaves 
and fruiting capsules may cause mechanical injury to humans and 
grazing animals. Although plants blossom and fruit throughout the 
year, they are more plentiful during the wet season. 
