Monographs Details:
Authority:
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
Family:
Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Description:
Species Description - Tree 4-10 m tall; often with a low-spreading crown; branches whorled, densely or sparsely pubescent, but becoming glabrate. Leaf blades (12-)15-50 x 4-15 cm, obovate-elliptic to oblongelliptic, coriaceous or chartaceous, subglabrous, but with simple, bifurcate, and stellate hairs on major veins, the apex acute to caudate-acuminate, the base rounded to obtuse, the margins entire; petioles 1.5-2 cm long, swollen at both ends, puberulous to pubescent with simple hairs; stipules subulate, deciduous. Flowers borne on the trunk and older branches; peduncles 1-3 cm long, pubescent primarily with stellate hairs. Calyx 5-8 mm long, the sepals lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, stellate-puberulous to glabrate without, glabrous within; petals white, greenish white, or pale violet, 3-nerved, 2-4 mm long, strongly hooded, the appendage entire, attenuate-spatulate, ca. 4 mm long, yellowish, glabrous; staminal tube 1-1.5 mm long, the filaments 1.5-2 mm long, the anthers ca. 0.5 mm long; staminodes 4-6 mm long with conspicuous purple median nerve; ovary stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm long, papillose-glandular, the styles 1.5-2 mm long, adherent. Berry fleshy, drupelike, variable in size and shape, 10-20 cm long, to 10 cm diam., generally oblong to fusiform, 5-angled, indehiscent. Seeds 1-2.5 mm long, brown, the surrounding pulp white and sweet.
Distribution and Ecology - Uncommon, naturalized in Cinnamon Bay, area along trail south of ruins (A 4153). Also on St. Croix (Eggers, 1879; Little & Wadsworth, 1964) and Tortola (D'Arcy, 1967); native of Central and South America, widely cultivated in the tropics.
Species Description - Tree 4-10 m tall; often with a low-spreading crown; branches whorled, densely or sparsely pubescent, but becoming glabrate. Leaf blades (12-)15-50 x 4-15 cm, obovate-elliptic to oblongelliptic, coriaceous or chartaceous, subglabrous, but with simple, bifurcate, and stellate hairs on major veins, the apex acute to caudate-acuminate, the base rounded to obtuse, the margins entire; petioles 1.5-2 cm long, swollen at both ends, puberulous to pubescent with simple hairs; stipules subulate, deciduous. Flowers borne on the trunk and older branches; peduncles 1-3 cm long, pubescent primarily with stellate hairs. Calyx 5-8 mm long, the sepals lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, stellate-puberulous to glabrate without, glabrous within; petals white, greenish white, or pale violet, 3-nerved, 2-4 mm long, strongly hooded, the appendage entire, attenuate-spatulate, ca. 4 mm long, yellowish, glabrous; staminal tube 1-1.5 mm long, the filaments 1.5-2 mm long, the anthers ca. 0.5 mm long; staminodes 4-6 mm long with conspicuous purple median nerve; ovary stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm long, papillose-glandular, the styles 1.5-2 mm long, adherent. Berry fleshy, drupelike, variable in size and shape, 10-20 cm long, to 10 cm diam., generally oblong to fusiform, 5-angled, indehiscent. Seeds 1-2.5 mm long, brown, the surrounding pulp white and sweet.
Distribution and Ecology - Uncommon, naturalized in Cinnamon Bay, area along trail south of ruins (A 4153). Also on St. Croix (Eggers, 1879; Little & Wadsworth, 1964) and Tortola (D'Arcy, 1967); native of Central and South America, widely cultivated in the tropics.
Discussion:
Common names: cacao, chocolate tree, cocoa tree.
Note: This species is the source of cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter. Cuatrecasas (1964) recognized several infraspecific forms based on fmit shape and texture. In addition, agriculturists recognize forms such as Criollo and Forastero on the same basis. The material from St. John has not been collected in fmit and therefore cannot be referred to any of these taxonomic or agronomic forms.