Coffea, A Member Of The Rubiaceae Family Is Responsible For The Biological Heritage Of Coffee. The Rubiaceae Family Includes More Than 500 Genera And 6,000 Species Of Tropical Trees And Shrubs.It Is Doubtful The Average Person Would Recognize An Actual Coffee Tree. Most Of Us Would Recognize A Roasted Coffee Bean. Just In Case You Stumble Upon Something You Think Might Be A Real Coffee Tree, Here Is A Quick Description Of One:Pruned Short In CultivationCapable Of Growing More Than 30 Feet HighGenerally Covered With Dark-green, Waxy Leaves That Grow Opposite Each Other In Pairs, Although A Coffee Tree Can Also Have Leaves That Are Purple Or Yellow (dark Green Is The Predominant Color) The Leaves May Be 1 To 40 Centimeters In SizeCoffee Cherries Grow Along The Trees Branches (see Below For A Description Of Coffee Cherries)Coffee Cherries Bloom Into Flowering, Fragrant, White Blossoms After About A YearBecause Coffee Cherries Grow In A Continuous Cycle You Might See Flowers, Green Fruit And Ripe Fruit At The Same Time On A Single TreeA Coffee Tree Can Live As Long As 20 To 30 Years. They Are Capable Of Growing In A Wide Range Of Climates So Long As The Climate Does Not Have Harsh Fluctuations In Temperature. Coffee Trees Grow Best In A Rich Soil And Mild Temperature With Frequent Rain And Shaded Sun. Heavy Frost Will Kill Coffee Trees.It Is Estimated That There Are 25 To 100 Species Of Coffee Plants. In The Commercial Coffee Industry, There Are Two Important Coffee Species. These Are:ArabicaCanephora (more Commonly Called Robusta)Varieties Of Coffea Arabica C. Arabica Include:BourbonTypicaCaturraMundoNovoTicoSan RamonJamaican Blue MountainThe Original Coffee Trees Were Discovered In Ethiopia. Coffea Arabica Comes From These Original Coffee Trees. The Coffee Trees In Ethiopia Produce A Fine, Mild, Aromatic Coffee. Over Half Of The Worlds Coffee Production Originates From The Coffee Trees In Ethiopia. Arabica Coffees Bring The Highest Prices In The World Market Of Coffee. Better Arabicas Are High Grown Coffees, Generally Between 2,000 To 6,000 Feet Above Sea Level.The Arabica Coffee Trees Are Costly To Cultivate Due To The Following Factors:The Terrain Tends To Be Steep And Access Is DifficultThe Arabica Coffee Trees Are More Disease Prone Than Robusta Coffee Trees, Which Requires Additional Care And AttentionArabica Coffee Tree Beans Are Flatter And More Elongated Than Robusta Coffee Tree Beans And Lower In Caffeine.Variety Of Coffea Canephora C. Canephora Var. Robusta Include:RobustaThe Robusta Coffee Tree Tends To Be Hearty And Is More Disease And Parasite Resistant. This Makes The Robusta Coffee Tree Easier And Cheaper To Cultivate. The Robusta Coffee Tree Is Able To Withstand Warmer Climates And Prefers Constant Temperatures Between 75 And 85 Degrees. It Needs About 60 Inches Of Rainfall Per Year And Cannot Stand Up To A Frost. Robusta Beans Produce A Coffee With A Distinctive Taste And About 50-60 More Caffeine Than The Arabica Coffee Tree Beans.Most Robusta Coffee Trees Are Grown In Central And Western Africa, Parts Of Southeast Asia, Which Includes Indonesia And Vietnam. Brazil Is Also A Country In Which The Robusta Coffee Tree Is Grown, However, Brazil Accounts For Only About 30 Percent Of The World Market.What Does A Coffee Cherry Look Like? You Will Recognize A Coffee Cherry By The Following Characteristics:The Outer Skin Of A Coffee Cherry Is Called The ExocarpBeneath The Exocarp Is The Mesocarp, Which Is A Thin Layer Of PulpThis Thin Layer Of Pulp Is Followed By A Slimy Layer Called The ParenchymaThe Beans Themselves Are Covered In A Parchment-like Envelope Called The Endocarp And More Commonly Called The ParchmentInside The Parchment, Side-by Side Lie Two BeansEach Of These Beans Are Covered Separately By Another Layer Of Thin Membrane Or Seed Skin Called SpermodermThe Spermoderm Is Generally Referred To In The Coffee Trade As The Silver Skin.Source: The National Coffee AssociationThis Article Is FREE To Publish With The Resource Box. 2007 Connie Limon. All Rights Reserved.
