Coffea

Coffea Flowering branches of Coffea arabica Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Subfamily: Ixoroideae Tribe: Coffeeae Genus: Coffea L. Type species Coffea arabica L. Coffea canephora.

Coffea is a genus of flowering plants whose seeds, called coffee beans, are used to make various coffee beverages and products. It is a member of the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded commodity crops and is an important export product of several countries, including those in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa.

Cultivation and use

Coffea cherries, Bali

Several species of Coffea may be grown for the seeds. Coffea arabica accounts for 75-80 percent of the world's coffee production, while Coffea canephora accounts for about 20 percent.^[1]

The trees produce edible red or purple fruits called "cherries" that are described either as epigynous berries or as indehiscent drupes.^[2] The cherries contain two seeds, the so-called "coffee beans", which—despite their name—are not true beans. In about 5-10% of any crop of coffee cherries, only a single bean, rather than the usual two, is found. This is called a peaberry, which is smaller and rounder than a normal coffee bean. It is often removed from the yield and either sold separately (as in New Guinea peaberry), or discarded.

When grown in the tropics, coffee is a vigorous bush or small tree that usually grows to a height of 3–3.5 m (9.8–11.5 ft). Most commonly cultivated coffee species grow best at high elevations, but do not tolerate freezing temperatures.

The tree of Coffea arabica will grow fruits after three to five years, and will produce for about 50 to 60 years (although up to 100 years is possible).^[3] The white flowers are highly scented. The fruit takes about 9 months to ripen.

Coffea flower

Coffea cherry cross section

Coffea racemosa fruits

Ecology

The caffeine in coffee "beans" is a natural plant defense against herbivory, i.e., a toxic substance that protects the seeds of the plant. Fruits and leaves are both sources of caffeine as well, and a tea can be made of the leaves, but neither are used commercially.

Several insect pests affect coffee production, including the coffee borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei) and the coffee leafminer (Leucoptera caffeina).

Coffee is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species, Dalcera abrasa, turnip moth and some members of the genus Endoclita, including E. damor and E. malabaricus.

Research

In 2008 and 2009, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew named seven new species of Coffea from the mountains of northern Madagascar, including C. ambongensis, C. boinensis, C. labatii, C. pterocarpa, C. bissetiae, and C. namorokensis.^[4]

In 2008, two new species of coffee plants were discovered in Cameroon: Coffea charrieriana, which is caffeine-free, and Coffea anthonyi.^[5] By crossing the new species with other known coffees, two new features might be introduced to cultivated coffee plants: beans without caffeine and self-pollination.

In 2014, the coffee genome was published, with more than 25,000 genes identified. This revealed that coffee plants make caffeine using a different set of genes from those found in tea, cacao and other such plants.^[6]

Species

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coffea.

Wikispecies has information related to: Coffea

• World Checklist of Rubiaceae
• Coffee & Conservation

Coffee
Topics	Economics Fair trade History
Production	Coffee production List of countries by coffee production
Species and varieties	Arabica Kona coffee S795 coffee Charrieriana Liberica Robusta
Components	Cafestol Caffeic acid Caffeine Coffee bean
Processing	Coffee roasting Coffee wastewater Decaffeination Home roasting
Preparation	AeroPress Arabic coffee Brewed coffee Canned coffee Cezve Chorreador Coffeemaker Coffee syrup Cold brew Espresso doppio lungo ristretto Espresso machine French press Handpresso Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol Instant coffee Knockbox List of coffee dishes Moka pot Percolator Turkish coffee Vacuum maker
Coffee drinks	Affogato Americano Bica Bicerin Black Russian Cà phê sữa đá Café au lait Café de olla Café con leche Caffè crema Café Cubano Caffè mocha Café Touba Caffè corretto Café com Cheirinho Caffè macchiato Cappuccino Carajillo Coffee milk Cortado Espresso Flat white Frappuccino Galão Garoto Greek frappé coffee Iced coffee Indian filter coffee Ipoh white coffee Irish coffee Karsk Kopi Luwak Kopi tubruk Latte Latte macchiato Liqueur coffee Long black Lungo Mazagran Oliang Red eye Ristretto Rüdesheimer Kaffee Tenom coffee Turkish coffee White coffee White Russian Wiener Melange Yuenyeung
Organisation lists	Coffee companies Coffeehouses
Lifestyle	Barista Caffè sospeso Coffee break Coffee ceremony CoffeeCon Coffee culture Coffee cupping Coffee Palace Coffeehouse Fika Kopi tiam Latte art Viennese coffee house
Substitutes	Barley tea Barleycup Caro Chicory Dandelion coffee Inka Postum Qishr Roasted grain beverage
Misc.	Coffee and doughnuts Coffee cup Coffee cup sleeve Demitasse Tasse à café Coffee leaf rust King Gustav's twin experiment Coffee vending machine Demitasse spoon Single-serve coffee container Third wave of coffee
Coffee portal  Category: Coffee