Edible Plants of the World

Coffee (Robusta)

Coffee (Robusta)

A tropical plant. It grows more in the lowland tropics. It occurs naturally in rain-forests in Africa from 10°S & N of the equator and from sea level to 1,600 m altitude. In PNG it is mostly below 550 m above sea level. It grows in areas with rainfall from 1000 to 2,500 mm per year. Temperatures in the range 18°C to 32°C are suitable. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In XTBG Yunnan.

Also known as:

Cafeto Robusto, Congo coffee, Kafi, Kapeng barako, Quillow coffee

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Coffee (Robusta) grow?

Found in: Africa, Asia, Angola, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, China, Congo DR, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Gabon, Guam, Guinea, Guinée, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Timor

Notes: There are about 40 Coffea species. In Botanical Gardens in Slovenia presumably in a hot house.

Growing Coffee (Robusta)

Cultivation: Many plants are grown from seed. They can be grafted onto other rootstock. If clonal cuttings are used, two different clones need to be planted together to ensure good pollination. Plants are spaced at 3 m by 3 m. Light shade is normally helpful. Several of the upright stems are allowed to grow, because some side branches die off.

Edible Uses: The seeds are used for coffee. They are roasted. In some places the fruit are lightly boiled then chewed.

Production: Plants are cross pollinated. It takes 9-10 months from flowering to harvest. One harvest is made, picking dried cherries off the tree. These are then dried and hulled.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
- - - - - -

Coffee (Robusta) Photos

Coffee (Robusta)

References

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Bourret, D., 1981, Bonnes-Plantes de Nouvelle-Caledonie et des Loyaute. ORSTOM. p 23 (As Coffea robusta)

Brouk, B., 1975, Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, London. p 345

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew.

Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 635

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Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.(As Coffea maclaudii and Coffea robusta)

Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 220

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Zuchowski W., 2007, Tropical Plants of Costa Rica. A Zona Tropical Publication, Comstock Publishing. p 195