PLANT: Shrubs, small trees, or vines, with resinous or milky sap, sometimes poisonous. LEAVES: alternate, simple, trifoliolate or pinnately compound, estipulate. INFLORESCENCE: terminal and/or axillary, bracteate, spikes, racemes, panicles, or thyrses. FLOWERS: actinomorphic, small, perfect or unisexual, with a ring-shaped nectary disc; sepals five, connate below; petals five, distinct; stamens as many as or twice as many as the petals; ovary hypogynous, unilocular, solitary; styles one to three. FRUIT: a drupe NOTES: Ca. 77 genera, 600 spp., mainly tropical and subtropical, with some temperate, such as ours. The Anacardiaceae contains members that are important sources of tannins and lacquers, have edible fruits (e.g., mango - Mangifera, cashews - Anacardium, and pistachio - Pistacia), or are used as ornamentals (e.g., sumacs - Rhus and smoke tree - Cotinus). REFERENCES: John L. Anderson, 2006, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Anacardiaceae. CANOTIA 3 (2): 13-22.
