Theobroma
Genus of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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[3] of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.[4]
| Theobroma | |
|---|---|
| |
| Theobroma cacao pod, from which cocoa beans are harvested | |
Scientific 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[3] | |
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.[2][5] The lectotype Theobroma cacao L. was designated in 1929.[2]
Etymology
The generic name is derived from the Greek words θεός theos meaning "god"[6] and βρῶμα broma meaning "food"[7] translating to "food of the gods".[8]
Species
As of November 2025[update] Plants of the World Online accepts 41 species:[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Theobroma albiflorum (Goudot) De Wild. | Colombia and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma angustifolium DC. | Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panamá | |
| Theobroma asperum (H.Karst. & Triana) K.Schum. ex C.J.J.Hall | northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma balaense (H.Preuss) De Wild. | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma bernoullii Pittier | Panama | |
 | Theobroma bicolor Bonpl. – mocambo | Brazil North, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela |
| Theobroma breviligulatum (R.E.Schult.) 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 (R.E.Schult.) Ducke | southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and northwestern Brazil | |
| Theobroma canumanense Pires & Fróes ex Cuatrec. | Brazil | |
| Theobroma cirmolinae Cuatrec. | Colombia | |
| Theobroma cuatrecasasianum (García-Barr.) Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma dugandii (García-Barr.) 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 (Acre and Amazonas) and Peru | |
.jpg) | Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum. – cupuaçu | Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela |
| Theobroma guianense (Aubl.) J.F.Gmel. | Bolivia, northern and central Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma hylaeum Cuatrec. | Colombia and Panamá | |
| Theobroma kanukuense (R.E.Schult.) Colli-Silva | Guianas and northern Brazil | |
| Theobroma kofanorum (R.E.Schult.) Colli-Silva | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Theobroma laciniifolium (Goudot ex Triana & Planch.) De Wild. | Colombia | |
| Theobroma lemniscatum (R.H.Schomb.) Colli-Silva | northern Brazil, northeastern Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela | |
 | Theobroma mammosum Cuatrec. & J.León | Costa Rica and Nicaragua |
| Theobroma mariae (Mart.) 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 (R.E.Schult.) Colli-Silva | Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Theobroma obovatum Klotzsch ex Bernoulli | Bolivia, northern Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela | |
| Theobroma pulcherrimum (Goudot) 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 | |
.jpg) | Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng. – cacaui | Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela |
| Theobroma sylvestre Aubl. ex Mart. | Brazil | |
| Theobroma tomentellum (R.E.Schult.) Colli-Silva | Colombia | |
| Theobroma umbraticum (R.E.Schult.) Colli-Silva | Colombia | |
| Theobroma velutinum Benoist | 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.[9]
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.
