96 
THAI. AMI FLOK/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, hut 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. 
Swartz, FI. hid. Occ. 1160. 
HAB. Woods near Roaring -River, S; Thomas in the EaU. 
FL. ? 
II. Theobroma. 
Calyx of 5 sepals. Petals 5, 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 0 ; cotyledons thick, oily corrugated. 
Name, from ©eog God, and [3^/xa, 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, S/oane, II. 15. t. 160. — Cacao sativa, Lam. Euc. I. 
533. — III. t. 653 — Cacao minus, Gcertn. de Fmct. II. 190. t. 
122. — Theobroma cacao, Linn. Sp. 1100. — Bat. 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 
