Abroma is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, order Malvales, containing a single species: Abroma augustum (L.) L.f., commonly known as devil's cotton. The genus was established by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in 1776, though the correct species name traces to Carl Linnaeus's 1768 basionym Theobroma augustum; the final valid combination was made by Carl Linnaeus the Younger in 1782.
Devil's cotton is a shrub or small tree native to tropical Asia, with a range extending from the Himalayas and southern China through Indochina and Malesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The plant is notable for its dark red to maroon flowers, each up to 7.5 cm across, borne in terminal panicles from late spring through early summer. Its leaves and stems are densely covered in soft bristly hairs that are strongly irritating to the skin on contact — a trait reflected in its common name.
The bark of Abroma augustum yields a jute-like bast fibre, and the plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine across its native range. The name Ambroma is recorded as an orthographic variant of Abroma.
Etymology
The genus name Abroma was coined by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in 1776. The type species epithet augustum (meaning "majestic" or "noble") originates with Carl Linnaeus's 1768 description under Theobroma; the combination Abroma augustum was formally established by Carl Linnaeus the Younger in 1782. Ambroma is recorded as an orthographic variant of the genus name.
Distribution
Abroma augustum is native to tropical Asia, with a range spanning from the foothills of the Himalayas and southern China westward and south through Indochina and the Malesian archipelago to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Cultivation
In greenhouse conditions, Abroma augustum blooms from late spring to early summer, producing dark maroon flowers in terminal panicles. The species is propagated from seed; seeds germinate in 21–30 days at approximately 24 °C (72 °F).
Taxonomy Notes
The genus was described by Jacquin in 1776 under the name Abroma fastuosum, but because this was a renaming of Theobroma augusta L., the International Code of Nomenclature required retention of the original epithet; A. fastuosum is therefore an illegitimate name. The basionym Theobroma augustum was published by Linnaeus in 1768, and the correct combination Abroma augustum (L.) L.f. was made by his son in 1782. GBIF recognises the genus as monotypic with one accepted descendant species.
