Theobroma
Theobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It was previously classified as a member of Sterculiaceae, which has been incorporated into Malvaceae to make it monophyletic. It contains 41 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.
The seeds of the cacao tree, the best known species of the genus, are used for making chocolate. Cupuaçu, mocambo and capacui are also of economic importance.
Taxonomy
It was published by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The lectotype Theobroma cacao was designated in 1929.Etymology
The generic name is derived from the Greek words θεός theos meaning "god" and βρῶμα broma meaning "food" translating to "food of the gods".Species
accepts 41 species:| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
| Theobroma albiflorum De Wild. | Colombia and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma angustifolium DC. | Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panamá | |
| Theobroma asperum K.Schum. ex C.J.J.Hall | northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma balaense De Wild. | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma bernoullii Pittier | Panama | |
| Theobroma bicolor Bonpl. - mocambo | Brazil North, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma breviligulatum Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma cacao L. - cacao | Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana,GL Guatemala,Guyana, Mexico, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma camargoanum Ducke | southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and northwestern Brazil | |
| Theobroma canumanense Pires & Fróes ex Cuatrec. | Brazil | |
| Theobroma cirmolinae Cuatrec. | Colombia | |
| Theobroma cuatrecasasianum Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma dugandii Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma flaviflorum Aguilar & D.Santam. | Costa Rica | |
| Theobroma gileri Cuatrec. | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma glaucum H.Karst. | Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Theobroma globosum Colli-Silva | northern Brazil and Peru | |
| Theobroma grandiflorum K.Schum. - cupuaçu | Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma guianense J.F.Gmel. | Bolivia, northern and central Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma hylaeum Cuatrec. | Colombia and Panamá | |
| Theobroma kanukuense Colli-Silva | Guianas and northern Brazil | |
| Theobroma kofanorum Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma laciniifolium De Wild. | Colombia | |
| Theobroma lemniscatum Colli-Silva | northern Brazil, northeastern Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma mammosum Cuatrec. & J.León | Costa Rica and Nicaragua | |
| Theobroma mariae K.Schum. | northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Theobroma microcarpum Mart. | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma nemorale Cuatrec. | Colombia | |
| Theobroma nervosum Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma nycterodendron Colli-Silva | Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Theobroma obovatum Klotzsch ex Bernoulli | Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma pulcherrimum De Wild. | Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama | |
| Theobroma purpureum Pittier | Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panamá, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma schultesii Colli-Silva | Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Theobroma simiarum Donn.Sm. | Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panamá | |
| Theobroma sinuosum Pav. ex Huber | Brazil and Peru | |
| Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng. - cacaui | Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela | |
| Theobroma sylvestre Aubl. ex Mart. | Brazil | |
| Theobroma tomentellum Colli-Silva | Colombia | |
| Theobroma umbraticum Colli-Silva | Colombia | |
| Theobroma velutinum Benoist | Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname |
Formerly placed here
- Abroma augustum L.f.
- Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.
Uses
Theobroma species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moths of the genus Endoclita, including E. chalybeatus, E. damor, E. hosei and E. sericeus. The larvae of another moth, Hypercompe muzina, feed exclusively on Theobroma cacao.
An active ingredient of cacao, theobromine, is named for the genus.