| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Byttneriaceae R. Br., nom. cons.; Dombeyaceae Kunth; Fremontiaceae J. Agardh, nom. illeg.; Helicteraceae J. Agardh; Hermanniaceae Marquis; Lasiopetalaceae Rchb.; Melochiaceae J. Agardh; Pentapetaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Theobromataceae J. Agardh; Triplochitonaceae K. Schum., nom. nud.
Common name: Cacao Family.
Number of genera 68. Number of species 1500.
Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.
Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or an intact or entire fruit, or a seed.
Fruits
Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple, or schizocarp; carcerulus (Spjut Fig. 17C-F), or amphisarcum, or capsule, or samara (not Spjut); follicarium (Spjut Fig. 29D), or coccarium (Spjut Fig. 22C-F); loculicidal capsule (Spjut Fig. 38A); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; without persistent central column, or with persistent central column; valves not diverging at top of central column; not within accessory organ(s); 25 to less than 50-seeded (at least); many; (1–)5(–12)-carpellate (5(1–12)); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; dehiscent, or indehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s) (seeds fall tardily from valves). Dehiscent and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp brown (all shades), or black, or gray, or purple, or green, or pink, or red; shiny, or dull; durable; chartaceous, or hard; glabrous (without hairs), or not glabrous (with hairs); hairs dense; hairs not glandular; without armature, or with armature; with bristles, or spines, or thorns; without armature glochidiate; smooth, or not smooth; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing(s) lateral; without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present, or absent; Theobroma fleshy, or fibrous, or leathery, or hard (woody); composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system; and endocarp sharply differentiated. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril absent, or present (Abroma, Commersonia, Ruelingia); a true aril; red (scarlet), or orange, or yellow; well developed, or vestigal; adnate to hilum, or testa; fleshy, or dry; of funicular origin, or micropylar origin, or outer integument origin; basal, or encompassing; does not aid in seed explusion from fruit; waxy. Seed larger than minute; 1 to less than 5 mm long to 25 to less than 50 mm long; 2.5–30 mm long; ovate; in transection sub triangular; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without food reserves (Cola), or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta present, or absent; fleshy. Testa present, or absent (Firmiana, Scaphium); without embryo surrounded and capped by viscid tissue; without markedly different marginal tissue; with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer, or without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer (Sterculia); tight; shiny, or dull; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with merged raised features, or discreet raised features; surface papillate; surface reticulate, or wrinkled, or rugose; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous, or pubescent; with hairs over surface; with minute on Kleinhovii to short hairs, or long hairs; with straight hairs; without glandular pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s) (Pterygota); with wing(s) solid; with solid wing(s) similar to testa; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black, or purple, or cream, or gray; crustaceous, or coriaceous; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve, or surrounding embryo. Endosperm copious; fleshy, or fleshy-firm; smooth; with starch, or without starch; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve), or completely filling testa (no food reserve); 0.9 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; foliate; with investing cotyledons, or spatulate cotyledons; straight, or bent (or folded); parallel to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; 0.5–0.8 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 4.4 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or entirely concealing hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous; thin, or moderately thick, or thick; convoluted, or crumpled, or flat; smooth; with apices entire, or cleft; with margins separate; basally entire, or cordate (barely); equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed; straight; not thickened.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan. New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Notes
Cronquist: Fruit fleshy (Theobroma) to leathery or woody, often separating into mesocarps. Goldberg: Fruit follicular, capsule, schizocarp, or samara, rarely baccate. Seed of Scaphium have peltate scales.
Weed information
No USA noxious weeds.
Listed seeds
ISTA listed seeds.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott & Endl. -- Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott & Endl. -- Heritiera utilis (Sprague) Sprague -- Mansonia altissima (A. Chev.) A. Chev. -- Melochia corchorifolia L.w -- Tarrietia utilis (Sprague) Sprague = Heritiera utilis (Sprague) Sprague -- Theobroma cacao L. -- Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum. -- Symbols: aagricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.
Accepted genera
Abroma Jacq. -- Acropogon Schltr. -- Astiria Lindl. -- Ayenia L. -- Brachychiton Schott & Endl. -- Byttneria Loefl., nom. cons. -- Cheirolaena Benth. -- Chiranthodendron Larreat. -- Cola Schott & Endl., nom. cons. -- Commersonia J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. -- Corchoropsis Siebold & Zucc. -- Cotylonychia Stapf -- Dicarpidium F. Muell. -- Dombeya Cav., nom. cons. -- Eriolaena DC. -- Firmiana Marsili -- Franciscodendron B. Hyland & Steenis -- Fremontodendron Coville -- Gilesia F. Muell. -- Glossostemon Desf. -- Guazuma Mill. -- Guichenotia J. Gay -- Hannafordia F. Muell. -- Harmsia K. Schum. -- Helicteres L. -- Helmiopsiella Arènes -- Helmiopsis H. Perrier -- Heritiera Aiton -- Hermannia L. -- Herrania Goudot -- Hildegardia Schott & Endl. -- Keraudrenia J. Gay -- Kleinhovia L. -- Lasiopetalum Sm. -- Leptonychia Turcz. -- Lysiosepalum F. Muell. -- Mansonia J. R. Drumm. ex Prain -- Maxwellia Baill. -- Megatritheca Cristóbal -- Melhania Forssk. -- Melochia L., nom. cons. prop. -- Neoregnellia Urb. -- Nesogordonia Baill. -- Octolobus Welw. -- Paradombeya Stapf -- Paramelhania Arènes -- Pentapetes L. -- Pterocymbium R. Br. -- Pterospermum Schreb., nom. cons. -- Pterygota Schott & Endl. -- Rayleya Cristóbal -- Reevesia Lindl. -- Ruizia Cav. -- Rulingia R. Br., nom. cons. -- Scaphium Schott & Endl. -- Scaphopetalum Mast. -- Seringia J. Gay, nom. cons. -- Sterculia L. -- Theobroma L. -- Thomasia J. Gay -- Trichostephania Tardieu -- Triplochiton K. Schum., nom. cons. -- Trochetia DC. -- Trochetiopsis Marais -- Uladendron Marc.-Berti -- Ungeria Schott & Endl. -- Waltheria L.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 352.
General references
Baillon, H.E. 1866–95. Histoire des plantes, 13 vols. Hachette and Co., Paris, Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Engler, A. and K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. and J.V. Dennis. 1976. World guide to tropical drift seeds and fruits, 240 pp. The New York Times Book Co., New York, Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Roosmalen, M.G.M. van. 1985. Fruits of the Guianan flora, 483 pp. Institute of Systematic Botany, Wageningen Agricultural University. Drukkerij Veenman B.V., Wageningen, Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of Woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450:1–883, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.
Illustrations
Acceptable fruit and seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Roosmalen, Baillon, Cronquist, Gunn & Dennis, Gaertner, Engler & Prantl. Seed illustration(s): Baillon, LeMaout & Decaisne, Engler & Prantl, Gunn & Ritchie, Schopmeyer. Embryo illustration(s): Baillon, LeMaout & Decaisne, Engler & Prantl, Gunn & Ritchie, Schopmeyer, Martin, Corner.
• Fruit. 1 of 21. Abroma angustum (L.) L. f.: dehisced fruit. • Seed. 2 of 21. Abroma angustum (L.) L. f.: seeds. • Fruit. 3 of 21. Brachychiton rupestris (T. Mitch. ex Lindl.) K. Schum.: fruit. • Seed. 4 of 21. Brachychiton rupestris (T. Mitch. ex Lindl.) K. Schum.: seeds. • Fruit. 5 of 21. Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott & Endl.: fruit. • Seed. 6 of 21. Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott & Endl.: seed. • Fruit. 7 of 21. Dombeya tiliacea (Endl.) Planch.: dehisced fruit with calyx. • Seed. 8 of 21. Dombeya tiliacea (Endl.) Planch.: seeds. • Fruit. 9 of 21. Franciscodendron laurifolia (F. Muell.) Steenis & Hyland: fruit. • Seed. 10 of 21. Franciscodendron laurifolia (F. Muell.) Steenis & Hyland: seeds. • Fruit. 11 of 21. Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.: fruiting head. • Seed. 12 of 21. Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.: seeds. • Fruit. 13 of 21. Helicteres baruensis Jacq.: fruit. • Seed. 14 of 21. Helicteres baruensis Jacq.: seeds. • Fruit. 15 of 21. Pterygota excelsa (Standl. & L. Q. Williams) Kosterm.: fruit. • Seed. 16 of 21. Pterygota excelsa (Standl. & L. Q. Williams) Kosterm.: seed. • Fruit. 17 of 21. Sterculia urens Lam.: fruit. • Seed. 18 of 21. Sterculia urens Lam.: seeds. • Seed. 19 of 21. Theobroma cacao L.: seed. • Embryo. 20 of 21. Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch.: embryos. • Embryo. 21 of 21. Pentapetes phoenicea L.: embryos.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
