robusta

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Robusta Coffee
• Congo coffeetree
• Nganda Coffee

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Coffea canephora subvar. robusta
• Coffea canephora var. ugandae
• Coffea canephora var. welwitschii
• Coffea bukobensis
• Coffea robusta
• Coffea canephora var. crassifolia
• Coffea maclaudii
• Coffea laurentii
• Coffea welwitschii
• Coffea ugandae
• Coffea canephora var. gossweileri
• Coffea canephora var. hiernii
• Coffea canephora var. hinaultii
• Coffea canephora var. kouilouensis
• Coffea canephora var. laurentii
• Coffea canephora var. maclaudii
• Coffea canephora var. muniensis
• Coffea canephora var. oligoneura
• Coffea canephora var. opaca
• Coffea canephora f. sankuruensis
• Coffea canephora var. sankuruensis
• Coffea canephora var. stuhlmannii
• Coffea canephora var. trillesii
• Coffea canephora var. wildemanii
• Coffea arabica var. stuhlmannii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianales, it is classified under the family Rubiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Coffea, specifically as the species Coffea canephora.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known scientifically as Coffea canephora, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions of West Tropical Africa. Its presence is documented in the coastal and inland areas of Benin. Furthermore, the species can be found growing within the territories of Ghana and Guinea-Bissau. It also maintains a significant distribution throughout the nation of Guinea. Finally, its range extends into the forested landscapes of the Ivory Coast.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Coffea canephora is significantly shaped by its presence in Área Antrópica (anthropic areas), where human intervention and land management play a primary role in its distribution and survival. While naturally occurring in the understory of humid tropical forests, the species has become extensively integrated into anthropogenic landscapes through large-scale monocultures and agroforestry systems. In these human-modified environments, the plant's ecological dynamics are governed by managed soil fertility, controlled shade structures, and altered microclimates resulting from deforestation and agricultural practices. Consequently, its ecological footprint is characterized by a transition from specialized forest niches to highly modified, human-dominated habitats where its growth, reproduction, and nutrient cycling are closely linked to anthropogenic agricultural cycles.

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Coffea canephora is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated woody stems, a structural life form that ensures its survival in its natural tropical habitats. Throughout its existence, the species remains evergreen, retaining its foliage consistently rather than undergoing seasonal shedding. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle, a phanerophyte growth habit, and evergreen deciduousness defines its biological strategy for continuous productivity and environmental resilience.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Coffea canephora is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically existing as a self-supporting tree. This species is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, neither being aquatic nor functioning as an epiphyte. As an independent organism, it does not exhibit parasitic behavior. In terms of physical dimensions, the plant typically reaches a mean height of 10 m, though individual specimens can reach a maximum recorded height of approximately 6.096 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

6.096074128 m

Plant height mean:

10 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Coffea canephora is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which governs its carbon assimilation processes and metabolic efficiency under varying environmental conditions. As a C3 plant, it fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide directly through the Calvin cycle using the enzyme RuBisCO, a process that is highly dependent on optimal light intensity and moisture availability to minimize photorespiration. In terms of nutrient acquisition, the species is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies entirely on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system to satisfy its nitrogen requirements for protein synthesis and enzymatic functions.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Coffea canephora is characterized by a highly flexible fruiting cycle and specific seed metrics. The fruiting period is noted for its variability, with the onset and conclusion of fruit production occurring at variable times throughout the year, potentially spanning from January through December. Regarding the reproductive output, the seeds produced exhibit a highly consistent mass; the mean, maximum, and minimum seed mass are all recorded at 0.1424 g, indicating a uniform weight for the seeds within the observed data.

Fruiting time :

variable

Seed mass mean:

0.1424 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Coffea canephora has 3 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include flower, fruit, leaf.

Flower

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Fruit

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Leaf

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Chemicals

Coffea canephora has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include caffeine, 16-O-METHYL-CAFESTOL, CALCIUM, Fatty acids, fructose.

caffeine

1. DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes
2. BMC biology

16-O-METHYL-CAFESTOL

1. Food chemistry

CALCIUM

1. Letters in applied microbiology

Fatty acids

1. Food chemistry

fructose

1. Food chemistry

Conditions

Coffea canephora has 5 reported investigations on conditions identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes.

Parkinson's disease

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Cardiovascular diseases

1. Physiological research

Metabolic syndrome

1. Physiological research

Obesity

1. Physiological research

Type 2 diabetes

1. Physiological research

Preparations

Coffea canephora has 3 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extract, extract, plant extracts.

Aqueous extract

1. Letters in applied microbiology

Extract

1. Letters in applied microbiology

Plant extracts

1. Frontiers in microbiology