Taxon: Theobroma cacao L.

See also subordinate taxa:

• Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao forma leiocarpum (no accessions)
• Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao forma pentagonum (no accessions)
• Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao (no accessions)
• Theobroma cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum (no accessions)

Common names:

• cacao   (Source: CRC MedHerbs ed2 ) – English
  
• cacao   (Source: World Econ Pl ) – English   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• cocoa   (Source: Pl Res SEAs 16:113) – English
  
• cacaoyer   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – French   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• cacaoyer   (Source: Pl Res SEAs 16:113) – French
  
• Kakaopflanze   (Source: S. Reichel, p.c.) – German   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• kokoa   (Source: not available) – Japanese Rōmaji   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• cacaoeiro   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)
  
• cacau   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)
  
• árbol del cacao   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Spanish   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• cacaotero   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Spanish   [Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao]
  
• calabacillo   (Source: Contr USNH) – Spanish   [Theobroma cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum]
  
• forastero   (Source: Contr USNH) – Spanish   [Theobroma cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum]
  

More:

see MMPND for additional names in foreign scripts

Economic importance:

• Medicines: folklore   (fide CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2)
  

More:

View phytochemical or ethnobotanical data from Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases

Distributional range:

• SOUTHERN AMERICA
  Mesoamerica: Belize; Guatemala; Mexico - Chiapas [s.], Tabasco
  Northern South America: French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname
  Brazil: Brazil [n.w.]
  Western South America: Colombia; Peru

• widely cultivated

References:

• Backer, C. A. & R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Jr. 1963–1968. Flora of Java. (F Java)
• Bartley, B. G. D. 2005. The genetic deversity of cacao and its utilization. 341 pp.
• Cuatrecasas, J. 1964. Cacao and its allies: a taxonomic revision of the genus Theobroma. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 35:495.
• Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop - on-line resource. (Ecocrop)
• Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. [re. Brazilian common names].
• IPGRI. New World Fruits Database - on-line resource. (New World Fruits)
• Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998–. Flora de la República de Cuba. (F Cuba)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936–1971. Flora of Peru.; new ser. 1980- (F Peru)
• McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
• McVaugh, R. 1983–. Flora Novo-Galiciana. (F NGalicia)
• Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) - on-line resource. (Pl Names)
• Royen, P. van et al. 1964–1970. Manual of the forest trees of Papua and New Guinea. (Trees New Guinea)
• Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946–1976. Flora of Guatemala. (F Guat)
• Vossen, H. A. M. van der & M. Wessel, eds. 2000. Stimulants. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 16:113.
• Westphal, E. & P. C. M. Jansen, eds. 1989. A selection. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) A:265.
• Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943–1980. Flora of Panama. (F Panama)

More:

Search AGRICOLA article citation database for citations referencing Theobroma cacao.

Search NCBI's Entrez search engine for PubMed citations referencing Theobroma cacao. Note: Defaults to a search by genus or species epithet if species binomial not found.

Synonyms:

• Theobroma leiocarpum Bernoulli [≡ Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao forma leiocarpum]
  
• Theobroma pentagonum Bernoulli [≡ Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao forma pentagonum]
  
• (=) Theobroma sativum (Aubl.) Lign. & Le Bey
  
• Theobroma sphaerocarpum A. Chev. [≡ Theobroma cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum]
  

Check other databases for Theobroma cacao L.:

• New World Fruits Database: Online database from Bioversity International
• TROPICOS: Nomenclatural and Specimen Database of the Missouri Botanical Garden
• Mansfeld: Mansfeld's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops
• ePIC: Electronic Plant Information Centre of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• AGRICOLA: Article Citation Database or NAL Catalog of USDA's National Agricultural Library
• Entrez: NCBI's search engine for PubMed citations, GenBank sequences, etc.
  Note: Defaults to a search by genus or species epithet if species binomial not found.

Images:

• GRIN Images of germplasm accessions.
• Seed: U.S. National Seed Herbarium image

More:

• Check PlantSystematics.org for additional images
• Images Note: Be advised that their identity may be inaccurate. Proper identification of a plant may require specialized taxonomic knowledge or comparison with properly documented herbarium material.

Abbreviations & symbols in GRIN Taxonomy

Ctrl P to print