Theobroma speciosum

Theobroma speciosum is an evergreen tree species of flowering plant in the mallow family native to northern South America. It is the 35th most abundant species of tree in the Amazon rainforest.

Name

The specific epithet 'speciosum' is used to indicate that a plant is aesthetically pleasing; it is a neuter form of 'speciosus', which is Latin for 'beautiful'.

Theobroma speciosum has a number of common names:

In Bolivia it is called chocolatillo
In Brazil it is called cacauí or cacau-de-macaco
In Peru it is called cacaoy, cacaoíllo, cacau-rana, cacao biaro, cupuyh or '''cacao sacha'''

Theobroma speciosum is an evergreen tree that grows up to tall. The trunk is straight, with plagiotropic side branches. The canopy is small. Its leaves are simple, and have a coriaceous surface with trichomes. Leaf arrangement is distichous. Flowers are red, and grow on the trunk in dense clusters. Fruits are in length, and comprise approximately 20 seeds surrounded by a white flesh, which in turn is surrounded by a capsule.

Theobroma speciosum is native to:

The fruit of T. speciosum is a food source for primates and rodents. Its flowers are pollinated by flying insects.

The flesh of the fruit is eaten by the Ka'apor and Tacana peoples. The seeds are used to make chocolate, and could also be used to make cocoa butter substitutes.
The flowers are edible, and contain high concentrations of antioxidants.

The fruit capsules can be used to make soap and deodorant.

As a crop wild relative, T. speciosum could be used as a source of genetic variability for T. cacao, which is widely cultivated for its cocoa beans.

T. speciosum is occasionally grown in gardens as an ornamental plant.

Colletotrichum luxificum, a species of pathogenic fungus, can cause witch's broom disease in ''Theobroma speciosum.''