Semecarpus anacardium

Semecarpus anacardium (Hindi: भिलावा, Nepali:भलायो,Tibetan:གོ་བྱེ། Sanskrit: अग्निमुख) is a native of India, found in the outer Himalayas to Coromandel Coast. It is closely related to the cashew.

Etymology

It is known as Bhallaatak (Hindi: भल्लातक) in India and was called "marking nut" by Europeans, because it was used by washermen to mark cloth and clothing before washing, as it imparted a water insoluble mark to the cloth. It is also known as Geeru beeja (Kannada: ಗೇರು ಬೀಜ) in Kannada and bibba in Marathi and Jeedi Ginja in Telugu.

Plant and fruit features

It is a deciduous tree. The nut is about 25 millimetres (1 in) long, ovoid and smooth lustrous black. In Ayurveda, the fruit is considered a rasayana for longevity and rejuvenation. The fruit has two parts, the part at end turns black, while other part turns reddish-orange when ripe. The red part is sweet when ripe, the black part produces serve allergy if consumed or its resin comes in contact with the skin. The black part contains nut inside it, which is edible. The seed inside samecarpus anacardium is known as Godambi "गोडम्बी".