Six new tree species in the genus Matisia from Panama and Colombia were recently named: Matisia petaquillae, M. changuinolana, M. aquilarum, M. genesiana, M. mutatana, and M. rufula.
These trees belong to the mallow family (Malvaceae) and are close relatives of Matisia cordata (the “South American sapote” or chupa-chupa) a well-known fruit tree with large, sweet, orange-yellow pulp sold in local markets.
Like M. cordata, many Matisia species bear sizable, fleshy fruits eaten fresh, juiced, or used in desserts, and their pulp is rich in vitamins and appreciated for flavour profiles that blend notes of pumpkin, mango, and other tropical fruits.
➡️These discoveries are especially exciting for chocolate lovers because Matisia sits in the same broader family as cacao (Theobroma cacao), and parallels are emerging between new Matisia and newly discovered wild cacao relatives such as Theobroma globosum, T. nervosum, and T. schultesii in the western Amazon.
Together, these trees expand the pool of genetic resources that breeders and farmers could someday draw on to develop more resilient cacao varieties, as well as new “chocolate-adjacent” products based on aromatic, pulp-rich fruits…much like how cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) has become a treasured pulp fruit in Brazil.
Reference: Fernández-Alonso, J.L. & Campos Pineda, E. (2024). Malvaceae neotropicae novae vel minus cognitae XII: Nuevas especies de Matisia de Colombia y Panamá. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales 48(189): 897–921