Theobroma cacao
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Description
Leaves are alternate, large, leathery, reddish or white when young, later turning green. Petioles are pubescent, with pulvini (thickened ends). Blades are entire, 12-60 x 4-20 cm, elliptic to obovate-oblong, drooping, glabrous. Stipules are very acute, 5-14 mm long, deciduous. Flowers are borne in clusters on trunk and older branches (cauliflory). Pedicels are 1-2 cm long, hairy, greenish, whitish or reddish. Sepals are 5, pink or whitish, up to 10 x 2.5 mm, triangular, rather fleshy, united at base. Petals are 5, smaller than sepals, base obovate and cup-shaped with 2 prominent purple guide lines, end part spatulate, yellow, bending outwards and backwards and attached to the base part by narrow connective. 5 outer staminodes around the style are erect, pointed, dark purple. 5 inner fertile stamens have filaments bent outwards so that anthers are concealed in pouch of corresponding petal. Ovary is superior. Fruit is indehiscent, up to 32 x 10 cm, spherical to cylindrical, pointed or blunt, with or without 5-10 furrows, ripening to green, yellow, red or purple. Seeds are 20-60 per pod, 2-4 x 1-2cm, ovoid or elliptic, arranged in 5 rows and embedded in white mucilage.

The map represents observations of this taxon, but it may not be used as a distribution map.




- Total squares
- kaakaopuu (Finnish)
- Jouko Rikkinen
- Vascular plants