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
Ceratocystis cacaofunesta Ceratocystis cacaofunesta Ceratocystis cacaofunesta is an ascomycete fungus that causes a wilt disease in cacao trees. It has led to significant economic losses in Latin America. Once considered to be a form of "Ceratocystis fimbriata", the fungus was described as a new species in 2005. The specific epithet "cacaofunesta" means "cacao-killing". Two closely related sublineages exist within this species, one centered in western Ecuador and the other containing isolates from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica. The disease known as "Ceratocystis wilt of cacao" (or "Mal de machete") is a serious disease of the cocoa tree ("Theobroma cacao") in Latin America.