Its double shell has an inner and outer layer, connected by a porous layer of tissue that contains a caustic oil. The cashew "nut" is actually a dry drupe and is the fruit of the tree. Dioecious (separate male and female) and monoecious (unisexual) flowers may be found growing together on the same panicle. They each have five slender petals and are about 1/4 inches across.
The tiny, clustered flowers begin as green and turn yellowish pink to reddish pink, sometimes with stripes.
Flowering occurs from August to September in Brazil, while in southern India flowers appear from December to January. In the dry season, flowers appear on 6 to 10 inch long panicles (clusters of racemes, which are similar to small branches) at the ends of the branches. The simple leaves have prominent pinnate venation, smooth margins, and are oval to elliptical in shape. The tree has large, leathery green leaves that grow 4 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. In some trees, the branches may become too heavy, touch the ground, and put out secondary roots at the points where they contact the ground. The branches spread very wide in an umbrella shape, and the tree's width may equal or exceed its height. The stem is short and gnarled, as are the branches. The cashew is an evergreen, tropical tree that usually grows about 40 feet high. Cashews have male, female, and bisexual flowers borne on the same panicles.
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