96 THAI.AMIFLOR.E. 



with the plant. Mention is made of it by several modern 

 travellers ; such as Tuckey and Bowdich. It is about the size 

 of a citron, formed of 5 ovali-reniform carpels, each containing 

 a single seed, as large as a chestnut, of an ovoid shape, pale red 

 externally, of a violet tinge internally, and of a fleshy consis- 

 tence. The natives of the part of Africa where the tree is 

 indigenous, chew and even eat the seed, which is acrid and 

 acid to the taste, but has the property of imparting a sweetish 

 taste to water which is brackish or bitter. In such esteem is 

 it held, that it is an important article of commere among the 

 African tribes, and is a common present made by them to Eu- 

 ropeans. The Cola is stomachic, and sialagogue, and is said to 

 allay hunger and to be useful in diseases of the liver. 



2. Sterculia Ivira. Bastard Mahoe. 



Leaves ovate glabrous acuminate entire rarely 3- 

 lobate, flowers panicled hermaphrodite decandrous, 

 carpels covered at the base with stiff setose hairs. 



Swarlz, FL hid. Occ. 1160. 



HAB. Woods near Roaring- River, St Thomas in the East. 



FL. ? 



II. Theobroma. 



Calyx of 5 sepals. Petals o, fornicate. Nectary ur- 

 ceolate, with 5 horns. Filaments 5, each with two 

 anthers. Style filiform ; stigma 5 parted. Capsule 

 5-celled, without valves : seeds in a buttery pulp ; 

 albumen ; cotyledons thick, oily corrugated. 



Name, from ©sos God, and /S^w.aa food, in allusion to the nu- 

 tritive quality of the beverage obtained from the seeds of the 

 following species. The Mexicans give it the name of Cacao- 

 quahuitl ; which has been in a great measure retained in the 

 word Chocolate, 



Theobroma Cacao. Chocolate Nut. 

 Leaves entire smooth ovate oblong acuminate. 



HAB. Cultivated. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



Cacao, Sloane, II. 15. t. 160. — Cacao sativa. Lam. Erie. I. 



533. — ///. t. 653 Cacao minus, Gcerfn. de Fruct. II. 190. t, 



122. — Theobroma cacao, Linn. Sp. WQO.—But. Cab. 545. 



This is a tree of moderate height, (12-16 feet): the trunk 

 upright ; the bark brownish ; and the wood light and porous. 

 Leaves rather large, lanceolate. Flowers small, reddish, ino- 

 dorous, numerous, scattered over the trunk and branches. The 



