Notas sobre el posible origen y la variabilidad del cacao cultivado en la América Tropical

Abstract

The origen of the cultivated cocoa is a highly controversial subject and one that is still very confusing. No experimental work has been carried out in investigating this problem and the cytological approach has not been attempted. As a prelude to starting an investigation of this kind, a study of the geographical distribution and variability of the cocoa populations of Tropical America was conducted. It was found that variability is considerably greater in the Central American populations than in those of South America. It was observed that all the cacao types known are found in Central America but not all of them can be found in South America. Based on these observations and on the historical data, the author locates in Central America the center of domestication of the cultivated cocoa. Consequently he considers cocoa as introduced in South America probably in pre-colombian times, and consider the geographical distribution of the Criollo type as a proof of this theory. The author agrees with Holdridge in considering the pentagona form as playing an important role in the origin of the existing cultivated hybrid complex. Furthermore, the author considers as very probable that pentagona, native from Central America, is the original and most ancient from of T. cacao from which, through mutation, introgressive bybridization and geographical isolation, the present populations arose.