Much of the region of tropical America in which G. sepium isnow distributed has undergone such a high degree ofhuman disturbance that it is extremely difficult to do morethan postulate its true native distribution. When the Spanishcolonists arrived in Mexico and Central America they observedindigenous peoples using and cultivating G.sepium for a numberof purposes, including shade for cocoa trees. Indeed, severalof the vernacular names derive from these observations: xakyaab(Maya), cacahuananche (Nahuatl) and madre de cacao (Spanish), all meaning "mother of cacao" (Hughes, 1987).
Publication year
1996
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
seed dispersal, pollination, flowers, pods, reproduction, habitats
