Theobroma
Sign in to saveTheobroma 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.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderMalvales
- FamilyMalvaceae
Native toBolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico Southeast
Common Name: trinitario
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Theobromateae
- Image
- Cacao.jpeg
Show 3 more facts
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Etymology
- Species
- Formerly placed here
- Uses
- References
- External links
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.