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How is cacao related to Malvales?

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Baobab — Malvales A fony baobab tree (*Adansonia rubrostipa*), estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, in Madagascar.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is related to the Malvales order through its classification in the family Malvaceae.

While earlier botanical systems placed cacao in the family Sterculiaceae, modern DNA studies have led to the inclusion of that group within the expanded Malvaceae family, which is a core component of the Malvales order. As a member of this order, cacao shares a common evolutionary lineage with other well-known plants such as cotton, hibiscus, okra, and durian.1