![]() ![]() The fruit is also used in many brands of soft drink as well as pre-packaged teas. The fruit and leaves also contain caffeine, and can be used to make coffee cherry tea and coffee-leaf tea. This suggests that caffeine production is an adaptive trait in coffee and plant evolution. Caffeine has also evolved independently in the more distantly related genera Theobroma ( cacao) and Camellia ( tea). Caffeine has evolved independently in multiple lineages of Coffea in Africa, perhaps in response to high pest predation in the humid environments of West-Central Africa. Not all Coffea species contain caffeine, and the earliest species had little or no caffeine content. Caffeine simultaneously attracts pollinators, specifically honeybees, by creating an olfactory memory that signals bees to return to the plant's flowers. The caffeine in coffee beans serves as a toxic substance protecting the seeds of the plant, a form of natural plant defense against herbivory. The fruit takes about nine months to ripen.Ĭoffea flower Pollen grains of Coffee plant Coffea fruit cross section Coffea racemosa fruits Coffea arabica beans germinating Coffea arabica flowers Ripe Coffea arabica fruits Beans inside a Coffea arabica fruit Coffea branches Ecology The tree of Coffea arabica will grow fruits after three to five years, producing for an average of 50 to 60 years, although up to 100 is possible. Most commonly cultivated coffee species grow best at high elevations, but do not tolerate freezing temperatures. 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). Called a peaberry, it is smaller and rounder than a normal coffee bean. In about 5–10% of any crop of coffee fruits, only a single bean is found. The fruit is often referred to as a "coffee cherry," and it contains two seeds, called "coffee beans." Despite these terms, coffee is neither a true cherry (the fruit of certain species in the genus Prunus) nor a true bean (seeds from plants in the family Fabaceae). The trees produce edible red or purple fruits, which are described either as epigynous berries or as indehiscent drupes. arabica has its origins in the highlands of Ethiopia and the Boma Plateau of Sudan, and was the result of a hybrid between C. arabica is preferred for its sweeter taste, while C. The two most popular are Coffea arabica (commonly known simply as "Arabica"), which accounts for 60–80% of the world's coffee production, and Coffea canephora (known as " Robusta"), which accounts for about 20–40%. There are over 120 species of Coffea, which is grown from seed. Main article: Coffee production Freshly harvested coffee cherries Coffea fruits, Bali Both coffee species are vulnerable to shifting growing zones caused by climate change, likely to result in a decline in production in some of the most important growing regions. The coffee trade relies heavily on two of the over 120 species, Coffea arabica (commonly known simply as "Arabica"), which accounts for 60–80% of the world's coffee production, and Coffea canephora (known as " Robusta"), which accounts for about 20–40%. The plant 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. The fruits, like the seeds, contain a large amount of caffeine, and have a distinct sweet taste. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor various beverages and products. Coffea species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae.
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