fruit produced by the trees that is often used as a flavoring ingredient in beverages. The genus was thought to be closely related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa, but the latter is now placed in a different subfamily. They are evergreen trees, growing up to 20 m tall (about 65 feet), with glossy ovoid leaves up to 30 cm (1 foot) long and star-shaped fruit.

Origin and distribution