Cocoa
Theobroma cacao
Synonyms: Theobroma kalaguum, Theobroma cacao var. leiocarpum, Theobroma cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum, Theobroma sapidum, Theobroma cacao subsp. leiocarpum, Theobroma cacao f. lacandonense, Theobroma caribaeum, Theobroma sativum, Theobroma integerrimum, Cacao sativa, Theobroma sativum var. melanospermum, Theobroma sativum var. leucospermum, Cacao theobroma, Theobroma salzmannianum, Theobroma leiocarpum, Theobroma pentagonum, Theobroma cacao subsp. pentagonum, Theobroma cacao f. pentagonum, Cacao minus, Theobroma cacao f. leiocarpum, Theobroma sphaerocarpum, Theobroma cacao subsp. sativa
Western Herbalism Properties
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Botanical Description
Theobroma cacao, commonly known as the cacao or cocoa tree, is a small evergreen understorey tree in the family Malvaceae native to the humid lowland tropical forests of the upper Amazon basin and now cultivated throughout the equatorial tropics for its seeds, the source of cocoa and chocolate. Mature trees reach 5 to 12 metres tall with a slender straight trunk and a low-branching, layered crown. The bark is smooth and grey-brown. Leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-elliptic to obovate, 15 to 30 centimetres long, leathery, glossy dark green above and paler beneath, with entire margins; young leaves flush bright pink to red and droop before hardening. Flowers are cauliflorous, borne directly on the trunk and older branches in small clusters; each is about 1 to 2 centimetres across with five pale yellow to pinkish petals bearing characteristic pouched bases and is pollinated mainly by tiny midges. The fruit is a large indehiscent ovoid to ellipsoid pod 15 to 30 centimetres long, ribbed, ripening yellow, orange, red, or purple, with a thick rind enclosing 20 to 60 seeds embedded in sweet white mucilaginous pulp.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
Cacao is one of the most culturally significant medicinal and ritual plants of Mesoamerica. Among the Maya the seeds were ground, mixed with maize, water, and chilli and consumed as a fortifying drink that was also prescribed for fevers, fatigue, anaemia, coughs, and as a vehicle for other medicines, and the pod, flowers, and bark figure in the Ritual of the Bacabs and other Maya healing texts (Roys, 1931; Dillinger et al., 2000). The Aztecs (Mexica) used cacahuatl ceremonially and medicinally as a heart and kidney tonic, a stimulant for warriors, and to relieve dysentery and diarrhoea, and the Florentine Codex records its use against angina and to treat the bites of poisonous animals (Sahagún, 1577; Dillinger et al., 2000). The Mixe, Zapotec, Olmec, and many other Mesoamerican peoples likewise used cacao as a strengthening beverage and ritual offering. In the Amazon basin Indigenous groups including the Yanomami and various Tupi peoples consumed the sweet pulp and used decoctions of the bark and leaves for wounds and fevers (Young, 2007).
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.