Tropical Plant "Caju assu"
Anacardium giganteum

Characteristics - The caju assu is a native fruit tree, found in the dry land forests and the flood plains, mainly in the Mid and Lower Amazon regions. It is a rarely cultivated plant, however it is abundant in nature. It is an evergreen tree, 20-30 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 50-90 cm. Leaves chartaceous, glabrous on the upper surface and pubescent bellow, 14 -20 cm in length. Flowers are fragrant, initially white, turning red after polination and form from August to November, containing both sexes. The overdeveloped peduncle is generally thought of as the "fruit" (pseudofruit) while in reality, the nut, affixed to it, is the true fruit. They ripen from December to April, at which time, they can be found in the street markets of the northern regions.

Uses - The pseudofruits contain large quatities of pleasant tasting, semi-sweet juice. The nuts are also edible.

Propagation - Propagated by seeds.