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 (Theobroma cacao), the best known species of the genus, are used for making chocolate. Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), mocambo (Theobroma bicolor) and capacui (Theobroma speciosum) 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 theos meaning "god" and broma meaning "food" translating to "food of the gods". Species Plants of the World Online accepts 41 species:
Image Scientific name Distribution Theobroma albiflorum Colombia and Venezuela Theobroma angustifolium Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panamá Theobroma asperum northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela Theobroma balaense Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma bernoullii Panama Theobroma bicolor – mocambo Brazil North, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela Theobroma breviligulatum Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma cacao – cacao Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana,GL Guatemala ,Guyana, Mexico, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela Theobroma camargoanum southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and northwestern Brazil Theobroma canumanense Brazil Theobroma cirmolinae Colombia Theobroma cuatrecasasianum Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma dugandii Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma flaviflorum Costa Rica Theobroma gileri Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma glaucum Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Theobroma globosum northern Brazil (Acre and Amazonas) and Peru Theobroma grandiflorum – cupuaçu Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela Theobroma guianense Bolivia, northern and central Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela Theobroma hylaeum Colombia and Panamá Theobroma kanukuense Guianas and northern Brazil Theobroma kofanorum Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma laciniifolium Colombia Theobroma lemniscatum northern Brazil, northeastern Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela Theobroma mammosum Costa Rica and Nicaragua Theobroma mariae northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Theobroma microcarpum Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela Theobroma nemorale Colombia Theobroma nervosum Colombia and Ecuador Theobroma nycterodendron Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Theobroma obovatum Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela Theobroma pulcherrimum Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama Theobroma purpureum Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panamá, and Venezuela Theobroma schultesii Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Theobroma simiarum Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panamá Theobroma sinuosum Brazil and Peru Theobroma speciosum – cacaui Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela Theobroma sylvestre Brazil Theobroma tomentellum Colombia Theobroma umbraticum Colombia Theobroma velutinum Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname
Formerly placed here Abroma augustum (L.) L.f. (as T. augustum L.) Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (as T. guazuma L.)
Uses Several species of Theobroma produce edible seeds, notably cacao, cupuaçu, and mocambo. Cacao is commercially valued as the source of cocoa and chocolate.
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.
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