Common Name: Marking Nut Tree

General Information

Semecarpus anacardium is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree that can reach a height of 25 metres, but is usually smaller[, ].
Possibly best known for its use in making a permanent marking ink, this multi-purpose tree also provides food, medicines, oil etc. It is harvested in large quantities from the wild for local use and also trade as a medicine[], and is also often cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics[].
Semecarpus anacardium has a very wide range and there are no major threats affecting it. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The shell surrounding the seed contains a strongly irritant substance[]. If this is the same as for the related cashew nut, then it will be destroyed by roasting[].
The plant is poisonous to the touch in the same manner as poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp), bringing the skin up in a severe rash[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, east to Australia.

Habitat

On hill slopes, usually at elevations between 500 - 1,000 metres[]. Dry, deciduous forest[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Semecarpus anacardium is adaptable to a variety of tropical and subtropical conditions[].
An easily grown plant requiring very little attention once established, it succeeds in soils that are too poor to support other crops[, ]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 - 6.5[].
Dioecious - both male and female forms need to be grown if fruits and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Care needs to be exercised when using this food since, like the related cashew nut, an oil from the shell has a strong irritant effect upon the skin[].

Seed[, ]. Roasted[]. Almond-like[].

Young fruits are pickled[]. The roasted fruit rinds are eaten by local people[].
The pulp of the pedicels is roasted and eaten[, , ].

Medicinal

Ripe fruits are aphrodisiac, digestive and stimulant[]. A paste or juice of the fruit is used in the treatment of bronchitis, dysentery, fever, asthma and haemorrhoids[].

The pure black acrid juice obtained from the fruits is used externally to remove rheumatic pains, aches and sprains[]. A little of the oil is rubbed over the parts affected - it is an efficacious remedy except in such constitutions as are subject to inflammations and swellings[].
Mixed with garlic and other substances, the juice is used in the treatment of almost every sort of venereal complaint[].

The bark is mildly astringent[].

A paste of the seed, mixed with honey, is used in the treatment of gastric troubles[]. The juice of the seeds is applied externally in the treatment of ringworm and severely chapped feet[]. The juice of the seeds has been tested as a possible anticancer agent[].

An oil obtained from the seeds is used to treat skin eruptions[].

The juice of the root is considered to be effective in causing sterility in women[].

The latex is applied externally in the treatment of headaches, skin diseases and scabies[].

Other Uses

The rind surrounding the seed furnishes a sort of indelible ink[].
The juice of the pedicels, mixed with lime water, is used as a black marking ink to write on cloth[, ]. The report is not clear which type of lime water is referred to, whether it is the acid juice of the lime fruit, Citrus aurantifolia; or an alkaline mixture of water and calcium hydroxide[].

A black dye is obtained from the pedicels[, ].

The seeds are a source of tannins[].

An oil obtained from the seeds is used for various industrial purposes such as a floor dressing; as additive substances to lacquers, dyes and insulating material; in the plastics industry; for regenerating rubber materials; and to protect wood from white ants[, , ].

A gum is obtained from the tree[].

The wood contains an acrid juice which renders it dangerous to those who work upon it[].
The wood is used to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed -

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?