High-forest Cashew (Anacardium giganteum)

One of the delights of any forest community, is the presence of a Hubudi tree (Anacardium giganteum) in the nearby forest and Moraro forest is no exception.

This tree delights any indigenous community because of its juicy fruit which is coveted by locals. One positive quality of the specie is that it can produce fruits by the hundreds. When gathered, which most likely would be in the early morning, the fruits can fill buckets. These are then squeezed to make one of the most delightful juices of the Amazon.

As a mature tree, this forest cashew attains a tremendous height. It is difficult to reach up to pick the fruits, so people wait for the fruits to fall to the ground in order to harvest them.

It is true to the lifestyle of forest communities - the tree has a binding community effect. When it is in season, the pungent scent of the ripe fruits wafts on the air over a long distance. This acts like a signal to tell that the fruits are ready for harvesting. People can come from miles away to gather this delicious fruit.

Forest floor animals such as the tapir or bush cow favour the fruit very much and like people can come from miles to have a feast.

Moraro forest has just one bearing tree with another young tree coming up.

Unlike the more common house cashew which bears regularly, the Hubudi tree can take its own time in bearing. Locals claim that it bears only once every four years and that not all trees bear within the same season. Like most huge trees, this special tree is not found on a wide scale in the forest, so is saved by local people when clearing land for farming or building.

It is very rare to find Hubudi plants growing in the forest, so it is very important to single out growing trees for preservation, as this is important to the future of this valuable tree.