Theobroma

Theobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.[2]

For the city in Brazil, see Theobroma, Rondônia.

Theobroma
Theobroma cacao fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Byttnerioideae
Tribe: Theobromateae
Genus: Theobroma
L.[1]
Type species
Theobroma cacao
Species

See text

Synonyms

Cacao Mill.
Tribroma O.F.Cook[1]

The seeds of Theobroma cacao, the best known species of the genus, are used for making chocolate. Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) and mocambo (Theobroma bicolor) are also of some economic importance.

Taxonomy

The generic name is derived from the Greek words θεός theos meaning "god"[3] and βρῶμα broma meaning "food"[4] translating to "food of the gods".[5]

Species

Species of the genus according to Plants of the World Online As of February 2023:[6]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Theobroma angustifolium DC.Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá
Theobroma bernoullii PittierPanama.
Theobroma bicolor Bonpl. – mocamboBrazil North, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela
Theobroma cacao L. – cacaoBrazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Theobroma canumanense Pires & Fróes ex Cuatrec.Brazil
Theobroma cirmolinae Cuatrec.Colombia
Theobroma gileri Cuatrec.Colombia, Ecuador
Theobroma glaucum H.Karst.Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum. – cupuaçuBolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela
Theobroma hylaeum Cuatrec.Colombia, Panamá
Theobroma mammosum Cuatrec. & J.LeónCosta Rica, Nicaragua
Theobroma microcarpum Mart.Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Theobroma nemorale Cuatrec.Colombia
Theobroma obovatum Klotzsch ex BernoulliBolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela
Theobroma simiarum Donn.Sm.Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panamá
Theobroma sinuosum Pav. ex HuberBrazil, Peru
Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng. – cacauiBolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela
Theobroma subincanum Mart.Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
Theobroma sylvestre Aubl. ex Mart.Brazil.
Theobroma velutinum BenoistBrazil, French Guiana, Suriname

Formerly placed here
  • Abroma augustum (L.) L.f. (as T. augustum L.)
  • Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (as T. guazuma L.)
  • Herrania albiflora Goudot (as T. albiflorum (Goudot) De Wild.)
  • Herrania mariae (Mart.) Decne. ex Goudot (as T. mariae (Mart.) K. Schum.)
  • Herrania purpurea (Pittier) R. E. Schult. (as T. purpureum Pittier)[7]
From left to right: T. grandiflorum, T. bicolor, T. speciosum, T. cacao

Uses

Several species of Theobroma produce edible seeds, notably cacao, cupuaçu, and mocambo. Cacao is commercially valued as the source of cocoa and chocolate.[8]

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.

References
  1. "Genus: Theobroma L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 5 Jun 2003. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  2. Genovese, Maria Inés; Barros, Helena Rudge de Moraes (2017), Mérillon, Jean-Michel; Ramawat, K.G. (eds.), "Theobroma cacao and Theobroma grandiflorum: Bioactive Compounds and Associated Health Benefits", Bioactive Molecules in Food, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–22, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54528-8_15-1, ISBN 978-3-319-54528-8, retrieved 2023-03-21
  3. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). "θεός". A Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
  4. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). "ἀ". A Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
  5. "Theobroma - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  6. "Theobroma L. - Plants of the World Online". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  7. "GRIN Species Records of Theobroma". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  8. "Cupuassu, Theobroma grandiflorum". www.growables.org. Retrieved 2023-03-21.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.