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''Coffea liberica'', commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...
from which
coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
is produced. It is native to western and central Africa (from Liberia to Uganda and Angola), and has become naturalised in areas including Colombia, Venezuela, the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
and
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
.


Description

''Coffea liberica'' trees are very tall, reaching up to high. They are harvested using ladders. The size of the cherries, the beans, and the leaves of barako are also among the largest of all coffee varieties. The shape of the ''liberica'' beans is unique among other commercial species ('' arabica'', '' robusta'') and varieties (''liberica'' var. ''dewevrei''). It is asymmetric, with one side shorter than the other side, creating characteristic "hook" at the tip. The central furrow is also more jagged in comparison to other coffee beans.


Characteristics

''Coffea liberica'' beans are larger than Arabica and Robusta beans, with a unique shape that resembles a teardrop. They also have a distinct aroma, with a floral and fruity scent that is often described as similar to jackfruit. The flavor profile of ''Coffea liberica'' is also unique, with a bold and full-bodied taste that is often described as smoky, woody, and slightly nutty.


Cultivation and use

''Coffea liberica'' accounts for less than 1.5% of commercial coffee grown. It was first commercially cultivated in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, after it was brought to the city of Lipa in the 1740s by Spanish friars. ''C. liberica'' was the main coffee species grown in the islands during the colonial period. They were exported to Western countries where they would command prices of up to five times the prices of coffee beans from other species. During the worldwide pandemic of
coffee rust ''Hemileia vastatrix'' is a multicellular Basidiomycota, basidiomycete fungus of the order Pucciniales (previously also known as Uredinales) that causes coffee leaf rust (CLR), a disease affecting the Coffea, coffee plant. Coffee serves as t ...
in the late 19th century, ''C. liberica'' plantations in the Philippines survived longer than ''arabica'' and ''robusta'' plantations. But they too eventually succumbed to the disease, leading to the collapse of the coffee industry in the islands. ''C. liberica'' is locally known as (). It is still highly regarded and grown widely in the Philippines, though largely only for the local market. Today,
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
and the neighboring province of
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
are the main producers of the Philippine varietal of ''liberica''. At the end of the 19th century, ''C. liberica'' was also brought to
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
to replace the ''arabica'' trees killed by the
coffee rust ''Hemileia vastatrix'' is a multicellular Basidiomycota, basidiomycete fungus of the order Pucciniales (previously also known as Uredinales) that causes coffee leaf rust (CLR), a disease affecting the Coffea, coffee plant. Coffee serves as t ...
disease. It is still found in parts of Central and East
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
and
West Kalimantan West Kalimantan () is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital and largest city is Pontianak. It is bordered by East Kalimantan and Central ...
today. ''Liberica'' is also cultivated in
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. It is generally grown in Malaysia's Coffee Belt on the west coast of
Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...
largely due to Javanese immigration to Malaysia in the 19th century. A rare and one-of-a-kind
cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
of ''liberica'' can be found in a secluded area of the
Amazon Rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...
of
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
. ''Liberica'' coffee beans are much larger than the more popular ''arabica'' and ''robusta'' beans. Due to its rarity and limited supply on a global level, the cost of regular ''liberica'' beans is on the higher end, with premium ''liberica'' beans carrying a heavier price tag. The caffeine concentration of ''liberica'' beans is the lowest of the three cultivars, with 1.23 g/100 g, where ''arabica'' has 1.61 g/100 g and Robusta has 2.26 g/100 g.


Taxonomy

''Coffea dewevrei'', ''Coffea dybowskii'' and ''Coffea excelsa'' were formerly considered as separate species but were reclassified in 2006 as synonyms for ''Coffea liberica'' var. ''dewevrei''.


See also

*
Coffea ''Coffea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. ''Coffea'' species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor variou ...


References


External links


''Coffea liberica''
United Nations'
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
website * {{Taxonbar, from=Q47718 liberica Flora of West Tropical Africa Flora of West-Central Tropical Africa Flora of Angola Flora of Sudan Flora of Uganda Plants described in 1876