Coffee

Biology

Coffea is a genus from the Rubiaceae family that includes 70 species of coffee plants. They are shrubs that can reach, in the wild, eight to 10 metres in height. Their flowers are white, with five petals, which resemble in sight and smell those of jasmine and orange tree. The fruit is a drupe, similar to a berry that holds one or two seeds; processed coffee seeds are called coffee beans.

Conservation

Coffee is classified as one of the most valuable and widely traded plants in the world. It is an important export product for many countries, including in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa. The most valued species in the coffee market are C. arabica and C. canephora.

Curiosities

The caffeine from the coffee seeds is a toxic substance for many herbivores and acts as a natural defence for the plant. In addition to the seeds, its fruits and leaves are also a source of caffeine, also used commercially.