Tropical Plant "Cacaui"
Theobroma speciosum

Characteristics - The cacaui is a fruit tree, rarely cultivated in the northern region of the country though it is found in its natural habitat, throughout the Amazon region in the dry forests. It is an evergreen tree, 8-14 m tall. Leaves are subcoriaceous, glabrous, glossy on the upper surface and ferruginous-tomentose on the underside, 20 -40 cm long with 4 pairs of lateral nerves. Flowers are mainly cauline, in dense fascicles, forming from August to October. The fruits ripen from February to April; they are berries, with a thick skin, containing about 20 seeds, surrounded by a thin fibre-succulent, slightly sweet pulp.

Uses - The fruits are consumed in their natural state, as juices or in ice creams and sweet confeccions, though they are not widely appreciated.

Propagation - Propagated by seeds.