522 



BYTTNERIACE^E. I. THEOBROMA. II. ABROMA. III. GUAZUMA. 



do not thrive. They must also be planted in the shade of other 

 trees ; for this purpose the plantations are always formed some 

 years before the cacao seeds are sown, by planting Erythrina 

 umbrosa, or other umbrageous trees, in rows at certain distances, 

 so as to admit of 1, 2 or 3 rows of Cacao between each row of 

 such trees. The seeds are sown 2 or 3 together, at about 2 

 yards distant in the rows, and when the plants are about a foot 

 high all are removed except the strongest plant. No countries 

 are better adapted for Cacao than Guayaquil, the Caraccas, and 

 the island of Trinidad, as they consist of savannahs or wide plains 

 overflowed with water, and in summer plentifully supplied by 

 canals or rivulets. The culture of the tree requires no other 

 attention besides that of clearing the ground from weeds and 

 shrubs. This is so necessary that if neglected these vegetables 

 will in a few years destroy the cacao plantations by robbing 

 the soil of all its nourishment. 



There are several varieties which differ chiefly in the size, 

 colour, and shape of the capsules. 



Common Cacao or Chocolate-nut. Clt. 1739. Tree 16 feet. 



2 T. GUIANE'NSIS (Willd. spec. 3. p. 1422.) leaves acuminate, 

 repandly-toothed, tomeutose beneath. T; . S. Native of Guiana 

 in moist woods. Cacao Guianensis, Aubl. guian. 2. t. 275. 

 Calyx green without, but yellow within. Petals yellow. Fruit 

 ovate, 5 -angled, clothed with rusty down. The kernel is white, 

 and very good eating when fresh. This is probably the Durio 

 eriopila, Lin. 



Guiana Chocolate-nut. Clt. 1803. Tree 10 feet. 



3 T. SYLVE'STRIS ; leaves entire, downy beneath ; fruit downy, 

 fj . S. Native of Guiana. Cacao sylvestris, Aubl. guian. 2. 

 p. 687. t. 276. This is asserted by Willdenow to be the Durio 

 eriopila of Lin. but upon what authority we know not, as there 

 is no specimen of it in the Linnean herbarum. Flowers yellow. 



Wood Chocolate-nut. Tree 16 feet. 



4 T. BI'COLOR (H. B. pi. equin. 1. p. 104. t. 30.) leaves ob- 

 long, obliquely-cordate, whitish beneath, and 7-nerved. Tj . S. 

 Native of New Granada in warm valleys. Fruit drupaceous, 

 oval, indehiscent, variously excavated, silky. The seeds are 

 mixed with the common Cacao by the inhabitants. 



Two-coloured-leaved Chocolate-nut. Clt. 1820. Tree 20 ft. 



5 T. ANGUSTIFOLIA (Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. ined. D. C. prod. 

 1. p. 484.) leaves oblong, tapering to both ends, acuminated at 

 the apex, 3-nerved at the base, pale beneath. Jj . S. Native 

 of Brazil and Mexico. T. speciosa, Willd. herb, ex Spreng. 

 Flowers of a dirty peach-colour. Limb of petals oblong, sti- 

 pitate. Sterile filaments obovate-oblong, a little longer than 

 the petals. Fruit ovate. 



Narrow-leaved Chocolate-nut. Tree 20 feet. 



6 T. OVATIFOLIA (Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon, ined.) leaves 

 ovate, very entire, 3-nerved at the base, somewhat cordate-pel- 

 tate, blunt at the apex, hoary from tomentum beneath. 17 . S. 

 Native of Mexico. Flowers small. Sepals acuminate. Fruit 

 egg-shaped, wrinkled from elevated ribs. 



Ovate-leaved, Chocolate-nut. Tree 15 feet. 



Cult. All the species of Theobrbma will thrive well in a 

 light rich soil, or a mixture of loam and peat, in a moist heat. 

 Cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass, in heat. Seeds do 

 not long retain their power of vegetation. 



II. ABRO'MA (from a priv. and Ppwpa, broma, food ; not 

 fit for food, in opposition to Theobroma,) Lin. fil. suppl. 341. 

 Sal. par. 102. Kunth, nov. gen. 5. p. 318. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Decdndria. Calyx 5-parted. Pe- 

 tals 5, with the claws dilated and saccate at the base. Urceolus 

 of stamens 10-cleft, 5 of which bear 3 anthers each, with the 

 alternate 5 petal-like, and sterile. Capsules 5-celled, 5-winged, 

 many-seeded. Seeds arillate. Albumen fleshy. Cotyledons 



leafy, transversely flexuous. Small trees, with hairy lobed 

 leaves and extra-axillary or terminal few-flowered peduncles 

 at the tops of the branches. 



1 A. AUGU'STA (Lin. fil. suppl. 341.) branches soft, velvety - 

 tomentose ; adult leaves cordate, ovate-oblong, acuminated, ser- 

 rulated, glabrous, or covered with simple or stellate down be- 

 neath, lower leaves roundish, cordate, 3-5-angled ; wings of 

 capsule truncated at the apex, with the exterior angle acutish. 

 >> . S. Native of the East Indies. A. augusta and A. Wheleri, 

 Willd. spec. 3. p. 1424 and 1425. A. fastu6sa, Jacq. vind. 

 3. p. 3. t. 1. Gsert. fruct. 1. p. 306. t. 64. Peduncles terminal 

 opposite the leaves. Lower leaves cordate, 3-5-lobed, 5-7- 

 nerved, upper ones ovate-lanceolate, undivided. Flowers droop- 

 ing, of a dark dirty purple-colour. 



August Abroma. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1770. Tree 10 feet. 



2 A. FASTUO SA (R. Br. in hort. kew. ed. 2. vol. 4. p. 409.) 

 branches muricated ; adult leaves scabrous from forked or sim- 

 ple bristles ; wings of capsule somewhat truncate at the apex, 

 with the exterior angle acuminated. ^. S. Native of the 

 island of Timor and New Holland. A. fastuosum, Gaert. fruct. 

 1. p. 307. t. 64. Sal. par. lond. t. 102. Lower leaves cordate, 

 acutely 5-lobed, upper ones ovate, somewhat cordate, undivided. 

 Flowers dark-purple. 



Disdainful Abroma. Fl. June, Oct. Clt. 1800. Tree 10 ft. 



3 A. MO'LLIS(D. C.prod. 1. p. 485.) branches rather velvety ; 

 adult leaves cordate, acuminated, serrated, velvety from very 

 short, soft, crowded down, and stellate bristles ; lower leaves 

 roundish, cordate, somewhat 5-lobed ; wings-of capsule truncate 

 at the apex, with the exterior angle obtuse. T? . S. Native of 

 the Moluccas and Java. Lower leaves cordate, roundish, 

 scarcely lobed ; upper ones also cordate, acuminated, serrated, 

 on very short stalks, all are soft and velvety to the touch. 

 Flowers dark-purple. 



Soft-leaved Abroma. Tree 1 feet ? 



Cult. The species of Abroma will thrive well in any light 

 rich soil, or a mixture of loam and peat. Cuttings will root 

 freely in sand under a hand-glass, in heat. Seeds ripen in abund- 



III. GUAZITMA (a name of Mexican origin, employed by 

 Plumier,) Plum. gen. 36. t. 18. Juss. Cav. and Pers. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 485. Bubroma, Schreb. gen. no. 1216. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Decdndria. Calyx of 5 sepals, 

 diversely connate, 2-3-parted. Petals 5, ending in a bifid li- 

 gula at the apex. Filaments of stamens monadelphous at the 

 base, with a very short exserted tube, divided into 5 sterile, 

 ovate, entire lobes, and 5 linear fertile ones, which are trifid at 

 the apex, each division bearing 1 anther each at their apexes. 

 Styles 5, conniving. Capsules woody, tubercled, filled with 

 mucilage, imperfectly 5-valved, 5-celled, opening by a tenfold 

 number of holes, many-seeded. Seeds angular. Albumen 

 fleshy. Cotyledons flattish. Trees covered with stellate down. 

 Leaves alternate, simple, cordate and unequal at the base, cadu- 

 cous. Stipulas lateral. Peduncles axillary and terminal, somewhat 

 dichotomously branched. The species are probably mere varieties. 



1 G. ULMIFOLIA (Lam. diet. 3. p. 52.) adult leaves smooth on 

 both surfaces. fj.S. Native of the West Indies. Theobroma 

 Guazuma, Lin. spec. 1100. Plum. ed. Burm. t. 144. but with 

 the leaves less cordate, and the racemes less elongated. Pluk. 

 aim. t. 77. f. 5. Bubroma Guazuma, and perhaps B. Invira, 

 Willd.. enum. 806. The leaves, according to M. De Candolle, are 

 ovate or oblong, unequally toothed, acuminate at the apex ; 

 younger ones hardly downy on the nerves, with stellate hairs. 

 Petals yellow, with two purple awns at the apex. A wide 

 spreading tree, not unlike the elm, with leaves that sleep hanging 

 quite down, whilst the petioles remain entirely stiff" and straight. 



