[5] The specific epithet anacardium ("up-heart") was used by apothecaries in the 16th century to refer to the plant's fruit.

The nut is about 25 millimetres (1 in) long, ovoid and smooth lustrous black.

The accessory fruit is edible and sweet when ripe, but the black fruit is toxic and produces a severe allergic reaction if it is consumed or its resin comes in contact with the skin.

[7] The seed inside the black fruit, known as godambi (गोडंबी), is edible when properly prepared.

[citation needed] In medieval times, Semecarpus anacardium was thought to aid in memory retention, for which cause the following dictum became widespread among Jewish scholars: "Repeat [your lessons], and repeat [your lessons], but never stand in need of the marking nut!