Coffea arabica

Coffea arabica
Clasificare ştiinţifică
Regn: Plantae Ordin: Gentianales Familie: Rubiaceae Subfamilie: Ixoroideae Trib: Coffeeae Gen: Coffea Specie: C. arabica
Nume binomial
Coffea arabica

Coffea arabica este o specie de arbore de cafea original indigenă din munţii din sud-vestul Etiopiei. De asemenea, este cunoscută sub numele de "arborele de cafea din Arabia", "cafea montană" sau "cafea arabică". Coffea arabica este considerată a fi prima specie de cafea care a fost cultivată, fiind cultivată în sud-vestul Etiopiei de mai bine de 1.000 de ani.

Se spune că produce cafea cu gust mai bun decât alte specii majore de cafea comercial-cultivate, cum ar fi Coffea canephora (robusta), pentru că cireșele robusta conțin de doua ori mai multă cofeină decât arabica. Cafeina are un gust amar, aşadar şi robusta este mai amară. C. arabica conține mai puțină cafeină decât oricare alte specii cultivate-comercial de cafea.

Wild plants grow to between 9 and 12 m (29 and 39 ft) tall, and have an open branching system; the leaves are opposite, simple elliptic-ovate to oblong, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.8 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.2 in) broad, glossy dark green. The flowers are white, 10–15 mm in diameter and grow in axillary clusters. The fruit is a drupe (though commonly called a "cherry"; the plural form is simply "cherry" - used only when referring to the fruit of C. arabica - when referring to the actual cherry fruit, the appropriate plural is "cherries") 10–15 mm in diameter, maturing bright red to purple and typically contains two seeds (the coffee seeds).

Distribution and habitat

Originally found in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia, Coffea arabica is now rare in its native state, and many populations appear to be mixed native and planted trees. It is common there as an understorey shrub. It has also been recovered from the Boma Plateau in South Sudan. C. arabica is also found on Mount Marsabit in northern Kenya, but it is unclear whether this is a truly native or naturalised occurrence.

The conservation of the genetic variation of Coffea arabica relies on conserving healthy populations of wild coffee in the Afromontane rainforests of Ethiopia. Genetic research has shown coffee cultivation is threatening the genetic integrity of wild coffee because it exposes wild genotypes to cultivars.

Cultivation and use

Coffea arabica accounts for 75-80 percent of the world's coffee production.

C. arabica takes about seven years to mature fully, and does best with 1.0–1.5 meters (about 40–59 inches) of rain, evenly distributed throughout the year.Format:Citation needed It is usually cultivated between 1,300 and 1,500 m altitude,Format:Citation needed but there are plantations as low as sea level and as high as 2,800 m.

Note

• Format:Cite journal
• Format:Cite book

Legături externe

• World Checklist of Rubiaceae
• CoffeeResearch.org
• Sursa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffea_arabica
• Cafeaua, alimentul-medicament modern, Garbo.ro, 29 Iunie 2011