CHAPTER II 



BOTANICAL 



Origin of Commercial Cocoa. — That Linnaeus enter- 

 tained a very high opinion of cocoa may be concluded 

 from his identifying the genus to which belong the 

 species of trees yielding this product, as Theobroma, i.e. 

 ^609 (god) and ^pwfia (food). The genus Theobroma is 

 included in BUETTNEBIACE^, a tribe of the natural 

 order StebcvlIAGE^ ^ comprising some twenty species, 

 all of which occur in the wild state in Central and 

 South America. Many of these produce edible seeds 

 or beans,* but at present only three species are known 

 to yield beans of commercial value : these are Theo- 

 broma cacao, L., T. pentagona, Bern., and T. sphcero- 

 carpa, Chev. 



The world's cocoa supply is chiefly obtained from 

 T. cacao, L. ; until quite recently, it was considered the 

 only species productive of commercial cocoa. T. bicolor, 

 Humb., T. sylvestris. Mart., T. leiocarpa, Bern., T. 

 angtistifolia (T. speciosa, WiUd. ex Spreng.), and T. 

 ovati folia (T. bicolor, Humb.) are cultivated in Guate- 

 mala and Nicaragua, and their beans are mixed 

 with those of T. cacao, L., in the local manufacture of 

 chocolate. T. cacao, L., has been cultivated for at least 

 five hundred years, and, like numerous other plants 

 which have been cultivated during long periods, it has 

 developed numerous varieties which show marked differ- 

 ence from the original type. The following is a brief 

 description of T. cacao, L., T. pentagona, Bern., and 

 T. sphcerocarpa, Chev. 



" Description of the genus Theobroma. 



"Calyx 5 partite, coloured. Petals 5 ; limb cucullate, 

 with a terminal, spathulate appendage. Column 10-fid ; 



* According to recent botanical nomenclature, " seeds " is a more 

 correct description than " beans." In view of its common employment 

 in commerce the term " beans " is retained in this book. — Editor. 



