anardiace

 10. ANACARDIACEAE

Distribution: The family has 77 genera and about 600 species (22 genera and 110 species in India)foundin tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The common plant of the family are Mangifera, Anacardium, Rhus, Buchnania etc. Mangifera indica mango is grown in most part of the country and Anacardium occidentale(cashew nut) occurs in wet western coastal reasons of India. Salient feature: plants are trees or a shrub, rarely woody vines containing resin passages plenty of gum and acrid juice. Flowers are entomophillous. Seeds are disperaed by animals or human agencies. Description: Usually trees; flower is bracteate andcomplete, with a cup shaped disc; calyx and corolla are free, staminodes present; placentation is parietal type. Leaves:Leaves are simple or pinnate, alternate or rarely opposite (Bouea) and exstipulate. Inflorescence: Anaxiliary or terminal cymose panicle. Flowers: Bracteate, small and numerous, actinomorphic bisexual or polygamous and hypogynous or rarely perigynous. With a glandular or cup shaped disc. The thalamus is convex bearing nectar secreting outgrowths between the stamens or outside the stamens (Mangifera) or elongated to form a gynophore as in Melanorrhoea. Calyx:Consists of 3 to 5 sepals free or more or less connate and imbricate. Calyx maybe deciduous or persistent. Corolla:Made up of 3 to 5 Petals, free or rarely connate and imbricate, rarely absent. Petals are persistent and enlarged in fruit of Melanorrhoea. Androecium: Shows variation, in number and sterile and fertile stamens.

In

Mangifera, 4 staminodes and one fertile stamen, in Anacardium, 8-10 stamens in two whorls of which some are fertile and some are sterile. InSpondias and Buchanania, 10 fertile stamens in two alternate whorls and in Rhus species, 5 stamens in a single whorl, are found.Filaments are usually subulate, free or basally connate as in Anacardium, anthers are basi or dorsifixed, dithecous, introse, opening lenghtwise. Gynoecium: Consists of 1 to 5 carpels. One carpel and one locule in Mangifera and Anacardium. Ovary is superior and syncarpous one to many locules each with a single pendulous or ascending ovule arising from the side of wall. Rarely carpels are free in Buchanania. Styles are free and usually terminal but in Mangifera and Anacardium they are lateralin Lannaea, four free and persistent styles are found. Stigma is simple or capitate. Ovule is anatropous, pendulous or ascending with dorsal raphe.

6Fruit: In most of the genera fruit is one seeded drupe but in spondious 4-5 seeds are

found .the fruit is nut in Anacardium situated on pyriform fleshy structure, derived from

the accrescent disc on top of thalamus. InMangifera, mesocarp is fleshy and edible.

Seeds:Non-endospermic with a straight or curved embryo.

Floral formula: Br K 5 or (5)C5A5-10G(1-5 )

Floral diagram:

Mangifera indica

Economic Importance

1. Mangifera indica produces delicious Mango fruits for which it is

cultivatedthroughout India and tropical countries.

2. Anacardium occidentale the cashewnut tree is a native of Brazil and now

cultivated in India and several other tropical counties.

3. The kernels are eaten raw or roasted and also used in preparation of wine locally

called feni.

4. Pistacia of Afghanistan is cultivated for the seeds which are Pistaceo nuts. The

nuts are edible and used in sweets, meat, ice creams and confectionary.

5. The fruit of Spondias pinnata are edible and used in prepration of pickles.

6. Seeds of Buchanania lanzanare used as substitute of Pistacionuts.

7. A good quality of timber are produced by mangifera indica,Anacardium

occidentale, Swintonia floribunda, Spondias axilaris, the timber is used for

construction work ,furniture, agricultural implements, packing cases.

8. Pistacia lentiscus yields a mastic resin used to flavor alcoholic beverages.

79. While other species of Pistacia also yields turpentine, resinous juice of Rhus is used for tannin, gum produced by Anacardium occidentale possess insecticidal properties.

10. The bark of Buchnania lanzan known as chiraunzi is used for tannin. 11. The pericarp of Semicarpous, Anacardiumis largely used for dying textiles. 12. Some species of Rhus and Spondias etc are cultivated as ornamentals.