coffee cherry Archives - Procaffeination

I was doing some research for an article about potential coffee extinction when I came across a few species of coffee that were new to me. And I wondered how many Coffea species there actually were. I started digging and boy was I surprised at the answer! Although the vast majority of the world’s commercial coffee production is either Arabica (Coffea arabica), which accounts for almost 70% or Robusta (Coffea Canephora), which accounts for almost 30%, there are actually 124 coffee species known to science, many of which are found only in the wild. It’s All Just Coffee That’s right… as of May 2019, there are 124 separate known coffea species! Coffee grows only on Earth (as far as we know) and almost exclusively in the tropics. The “coffee belt” is generally considered to lie between 25º north latitude and 30º south latitude and coffee is now grown in at least 90 countries. The naturally occurring (wild) coffee strains are mostly found in tropical Africa, the Islands of the Indian Ocean, Asia, and Australasia. World map of the Bean Belt; the only places coffee grows (more or less). Although there are 124 species, the coffee bean morphology (shape and structure) is largely the same. Now, coffee is not actually a bean… I went into this topic at some length in a previous post. A coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee fruit (it's not actually a fruit, either… it’s a “drupe,” but let’s not get too carried away) The fruit grows on a coffee tree (which is actually not a tree: it’s technically a shrub... I know. I'm being pedantic, but isn't that why we are all here?). The fruit is made up of the skin, a thin layer of pulp, a seed coat, and a seed that is generally in two halves, although sometimes it is a single caracol or “peaberry.” As I said, across the species, this is what you will find. But there are differences. Vive La Difference Although there are many similarities, there are differences between the species. Sometimes the differences are subtle, as in leaf structure or leaf distribution. Sometimes the differences are easy to spot: Some species produce more than others and the color of the fruit can vary from yellow to orange to red to dark purple. The size of the fruit and seed can vary from 5 mm of the Coffea racemose to the 20 mm of the C. ambongenis. There is even a variety, C. namorokensis, that produces a hairy fruit. Useful Traits The genetic diversity of the wild species of coffee are important because some of them have desirable characteristics that might be useful as growing conditions change due to climate shifts. A drought resistant species might just come in handy. In the late 1800s, almost all the Arabica trees in Java were wiped out by coffee rust, but the hardy Robusta tree has come a long way toward rebuilding the coffee industries of Indonesia. Other varieties have other pest and disease resistance. It is probably not surprising that the caffeine content can vary from species to species. In fact, C. racemose has a caffeine content so low that it is naturally as low as decaffeinated coffee! The big thing for me is taste. It is for most other people, as well. Arabica has been the king of that particular mountain for many years, but researchers are always looking for ways to produce a better cup. Besides, as we learned earlier, Arabica is susceptible to coffee rust and we don’t want to face a world without good coffee. Arabica The first cultivated species of coffee tree and the most widely grown due to its superior flavor and good production. Approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production, and all the best tasting coffees, are Arabica (C. arabica). There are dozens of varieties and cultivars of Arabica. Robusta About 27% of the world’s coffee is Robusta (C. canephora). It is a lower-growing, higher-bearing tree and produces coffee that has higher caffeine content and inferior cupping quality to Arabica. Because it is lower growing, on flatter land, it is more suitable for mechanical cultivation, allowing for economies of scale making it less expensive to produce. It is used in blends of instant coffee, and for less expensive blends of ground commercial coffee. Some blenders claim that combining it with Arabica beans gives more body to a cup of espresso. Other Notable Coffees Eugenioides coffee (C. eugenioides) is indigenous to the highlands of East Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and western Tanzania. It has a lower caffeine content than Arabica. Liberica (C. Liberica) grows much taller and has larger fruits than Arabica, although the per tree yield is lower. The coffee “beans” are often irregular in shape. Liberica trees were brought to Indonesia to replace the Arabica trees killed by coffee rust. Excelsa is a popular varietal of Liberica. A Complete Alphabetical List of All Coffee Species Coffea abbayesiiCoffea affinisCoffea alleizettiiCoffea ambanjensisCoffea ambongenisCoffea andrambovatensisCoffea ankaranensisCoffea anthonyiCoffea arabicaCoffea arenesianaCoffea augagneuriiCoffea bakossiiCoffea benghalensisCoffea bertrandiiCoffea betamponensisCoffea bissetiaeCoffea boinensisCoffea boivinianaCoffea bonnieriCoffea brassiiCoffea brevipesCoffea bridsoniaeCoffea buxifoliaCoffea canephora ("Coffea robusta")Coffea carrissoiCoffea charrierianaCoffea cochinchinensisCoffea commersonianaCoffea congensisCoffea costatifructaCoffea coursianaCoffea dactyliferaCoffea decaryanaCoffea dubardiiCoffea ebracteolataCoffea eugenioidesCoffea fadeniiCoffea farafanganensisCoffea floresianaCoffea fotsoanaCoffea fragilisCoffea fragransCoffea gallieniiCoffea greveiCoffea heimiiCoffea homolleiCoffea horsfieldianaCoffea humbertiiCoffea humblotianaCoffea humilisCoffea jumelleiCoffea kapakataCoffea kianjavatensisCoffea kihansiensisCoffea kimbozensisCoffea kivuensisCoffea labatiiCoffea lancifoliaCoffea lebrunianaCoffea leonimontanaCoffea leroyiCoffea liaudiiCoffea libericaCoffea ligustroidesCoffea littoralisCoffea lulandoensisCoffea mabesaeCoffea macrocarpaCoffea madurensisCoffea magnistipulaCoffea malabaricaCoffea mangoroensisCoffea manniiCoffea manombensisCoffea mapianaCoffea mauritianaCoffea mayombensisCoffea mcphersoniiCoffea melanocarpaCoffea merguensisCoffea millotiiCoffea minutifloraCoffea mogenetiiCoffea mongensisCoffea montekupensisCoffea montis-sacriCoffea moratiiCoffea mufindiensisCoffea myrtifoliaCoffea namorokensisCoffea neobridsoniaeCoffea neoleroyiCoffea perrieriCoffea pervilleanaCoffea pocsiiCoffea pseudozanguebariaeCoffea pterocarpaCoffea racemosaCoffea rakotonasoloiCoffea ratsimamangaeCoffea resinosaCoffea rhamnifoliaCoffea richardiiCoffea sahafaryensisCoffea sakarahaeCoffea salvatrixCoffea sambavensisCoffea sapiniiCoffea schliebeniiCoffea semseiCoffea sessilifloraCoffea stenophyllaCoffea tetragonaCoffea togoensisCoffea toshiiCoffea travancorensisCoffea tricalysioidesCoffea tsirananaeCoffea vatovavyensisCoffea vavateninensisCoffea vianneyiCoffea vohemarensisCoffea wightianaCoffea zanguebariae Conclusion While there are 124 species of coffee, only two of them make up almost the entire world’s production. There was a recent study pointing out that many of these lesser-known species were at risk, since they only grow in small, specific, geographic areas and that climate change might make it impossible for them to thrive. That ended up being popularly reported as “Coffee is going extinct!” Check out this post for more on that. While I am not going to give in to hyperbole, losing this genetic diversity would be a very bad thing. Cross-breeding within plant species is a terrific way to combat habitat loss and improve disease resistance. And I am for anything and everything that guarantees my morning cup is going to continue to hit my breakfast table. If you like coffee and fun, join us in our Procaffeination Facebook Group. To be among the first to find out when the book is ready (and probably get a discount, too) sign up for the email list. No spam… promise.