Theobroma cacao L.

 
  • Family : STERCULIACEAE
    (Sterculia Or Cocoa Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : COCOA FAMILY
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Malvaceae
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Theobroma cacao L.
  • Common name : Cocoa tree, Cocco, Cacao, Chocolate-nut tree
  • Vernacular name :
    • Kokko (Malayalam)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Comments / notes : Occasionally planted in plains. Plant yeilds cocoa which is commercially important
  • Key identification features : Small tree
  • Flower, Fruit : November-May
  • Distribution :
    • Karnataka : Cultivated
    • Kerala : All districts of Kerala
    • Maharashtra : Mumbai-City district, Mumbai Suburban district, Sindhudurg district
    • Tamil Nadu : Kanyakumari district, Dindigul district, Namakkal district, Tirunelveli district
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands : Andaman Islands
  • Native : Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : Cultivated in most tropical parts of the world
  • Literature :
    • H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1
    • Matthew, K.M., Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983
    • Sasidharan, N. 2011. Flowering plants of Kerala. DVD, V 2, KFRI
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1.
    • K.Ravikumar, A.C.Tangavelou, & Navendu Page. (2021). Seed plants of Karnataka, India: A concise dictionary. FRLHT-TDU, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai.
    • Parkinson, C.E. 1923. A Forest Flora of the Andaman Islands, Govt. of India, Shimla
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Theobroma cacao
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Theobroma cacao. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Field Image(s)

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution

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