ANACARDIACEAE
Morphological description
Non-climbing, trees or shrubs, woody; sometimes climber (Pegia, Rhus nodosa); aromatic; bark on cross section with a pale wavy sclerenchymatic band (see also Burseraceae); exudate black or turning black or brown upon exposure; exstipulate.
Leaves
Leaves usually spirally arranged (simple or compound), sometimes leaves opposite (Bouea); petiole swollen at base, leaf-shape oblanceolate, margin entire, penninerved;
Inflorescence
Inflorescence paniculate, terminal.
Flowers
Flowers small, 5-merous, petals free; disk present, style excentric, ovary usually superior, 1 ovule per cell, sometimes ovary (semi-)inferior (Drimycarpus, Pegia, some Melanochyla and Semecarpus).
Fruits
Fruits winged (Gluta p.p., Parishia, Swintonia); sometimes fleshy hypocarp (Anacardium*, Semecarpus)
Different from: Burseraceae: usually no black sap, flowers often 3-merous, 2 ovules per cell.
Distribution: The family pantropical, most genera well represented in lowland rain forest. In Malesia 21 genera, incl.: - Campnosperma (pantropical, not Africa and Australia), often in swamp forest; - Gluta (Madagascar to New Guinea), lowland dry and peatswamp forest; - Mangifera (India to Solomons), mostly lowland rain forest; - Melanochyla (Malesia), mostly lowland swamp forest; - Semecarpus (India to Fiji), mostly lowland rain forest, also swamp and monsoon forest.
Notes: Several species of Gluta, Melanochyla and Swintonia contain sap which may cause severe and painful irritation of the skin. In Malaysia and Indonesia they are collectively known as Rengas. — Edible fruits: Anacardium*, Bouea, Mangifera, Spondias* p.p. The fruits of several species are eaten by various mammals (bats, pigs, primates).
Literature: Ding Hou, Anacardiaceae, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1978) 395-548; K.M. Kochummen, Tree Fl. Mal. 4 (1989) 9-57; Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak 2 (1996) 1-92.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Anacardiaceae plants with black or brown sap (p.p.), resinous exudate (p.p.), dried plants resinous (p.p.), leaves glaucous (p.p.), young leaves red (p.p.), leaf with domatia (p.p.) Anacardium plants with black or brown sap Androtium plants with black or brown sap Bouea plants with black or brown sap, leaves opposite in spiral-leaved families,flowers 3-merous (p.p.) Buchanania plants with black or brown sap Campnosperma terminalia branching, plants with black or brown sap, stellate hairs (p.p.), scales, winged rachis/petiole (p.p.), Dicots with large leaves (p.p.),flowers 3-merous (p.p.) Dracontomelon plants with black or brown sap,style excentric Drimycarpus plants with black or brown sap, intramarginal vein, ovary inferior Euroschinus ant plants, plants with black or brown sap, free rachis tip (p.p.) Gluta terminalia branching, plants with black or brown sap, calyx accrescent (p.p.),style excentric, stamens numerous, fruit winged (p.p.) Koordersiodendron plants with black or brown sap Lannea leafless when flowering, plants with black or brown sap, stellate hairs Mangifera plants with black or brown sap (p.p.), petiole swollen apically (p.p.), petiole strongly swollen at base (p.p.), leaves verticillate (p.p.), leaves bullate (p.p.), broken leaves with white thread (p.p.),style excentric, corolla/petals with appendages Melanochyla plants with black or brown sap, leaves bullate (p.p.), ovary inferior, fruit spiny or muricate (p.p.) Nothopegiopsis leaves verticillate (p.p.) Parishia leafless when flowering (p.p.), plants with white or yellow sap (p.p.), plants with black or brown sap (p.p.),calyx accrescent, fruit winged Pegia climbers without hooks/tendrils, plants with black or brown sap, style excentric, ovary inferior Pentaspadon plants with black or brown sap Pistacia plants with black or brown sap, winged rachis/petiole, free rachis tip (p.p.) Pleiogynium plants with black or brown sap (p.p.), excentric style; P. timoriense plants with white or yellow sap Rhus plants with white or yellow sap (p.p.), plants with black or brown sap (p.p.), leaves palmately compound (p.p.), Rhus nodosa climbers without hooks/tendrils Semecarpus Schopfbaume (p.p.), plants with black or brown sap, stellate hairs (p.p.), petiole strongly swollen at base (p.p.), leaves verticillate (p.p.), Dicots with large leaves (p.p.), cauliflorous (p.p.), ovary inferior; S. aruensis ant plants; S. bunburyanus armed plants Spondias plants with black or brown sap, intramarginal vein (p.p.),style excentric Swintonia plants with black or brown sap, petiole strongly swollen at base, leaves verticillate (p.p.), intramarginal vein, calyx accrescent, fruit winged.
Illustrations: Fig. 5 & 6. Ding Hou, Anacardiaceae, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1978) 395-548; K.M. Kochummen, Tree Fl. Mal. 4 (1989) 9-57; Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak 2 (1996) 1-92.
Image in PhytoImages for Anacardium