Anacardiaceae

Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew or sumac family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales. It comprises about 70 genera and around 800 species, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical regions with some temperate representatives. The family includes trees, shrubs, and sometimes lianas, frequently with resinous or irritating compounds in their tissues.

Leaves are typically alternate and may be simple, pinnate, or palmately compound. The flowers are usually small and inconspicuous, arranged in various inflorescences such as panicles or spikes. The fruit is typically a drupe or drupe-like, usually containing a single seed; in cultivated species the edible fruit or flesh is often paired with a distinctive endocarp, as in the cashew apple or mango.

Notable genera and species include Anacardium occidentale (cashew), Mangifera indica (mango), Pistacia vera (pistachio), and Spondias species (hog plums). The genus Schinus includes pepper trees, while Rhus (sumacs) and Toxicodendron include species such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Some members produce valuable resins, dyes, or lac, such as the urushi lacquer tree Toxicodendron vernicifluum (formerly Rhus verniciflua).

Ecology and economic importance: many Anacardiaceae produce edible fruits or nuts and are important in agriculture and horticulture. Others are notable for irritant urushiol-like compounds that can cause dermatitis in humans. The family is studied for its chemical diversity, taxonomy, and phylogeny, with ongoing revisions based on molecular data within the Sapindales.