Theobroma Theobroma Theobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. The generic name is derived from the Greek words θεός ("theos"), meaning "god," and βρῶμα ("broma"), meaning "food". It translates to "food of the gods." "Theobroma cacao", the best known species of the genus, is used for making chocolate. Several species of "Theobroma" produce edible seeds, notably cacao, cupuaçu, and mocambo. Cacao is commercially valued as the source of
Peter Posnette Peter Posnette Peter Posnette (real name Adrian Frank Posnette) (11 January 1914 – 17 July 2004) was a British plant pathologist. He was born in the South Birmingham area and educated at Cheltenham Grammar School. He entered Christ's College, Cambridge to study zoology but then accepted a Colonial Agricultural Service research studentship in plant genetics. After studying at the Cambridge University School of Agriculture, he moved to the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad to carry out a research project into the pollination of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao). In 1937 he moved to the Gold Coast as a