74 COFFEE 



about 0.7 cm. long, narrowed from a common base to the tips, dis- 

 tinct and prominent midrib elongated into a linear point. Inflores- 

 cence in large clusters. Flowers in sets of i to 6 in an axillary 

 head surrounded with a double set of involucral bracts or calycules 

 below the calyx; outer bracts of 2 short, triangular lobes and 2 

 elongated lobes at least twice as long as the others; inner calyculus 

 of short lobes; 3 to 5 flowers shortly pedicelled; corolla is about the 

 size of C. liberica Bull, and 5- (rarely 4-) merous; tube 0.9 cm. 

 (varying in its varieties from .5 cm. to 1.4 cm.) long, lobes lanceolate, 

 broadened about 1.3 cm. (in its varieties 0.7 cm. to 1.5 cm.) long; 

 calyx bears 4 very short teeth. Anthers i cm. long, acuminate; fila- 

 ment 0.3 to 0.4 cm. long, attached to the lower third of the anther. 

 Stigma of style 1.2 cm. long, exserted. Fruit about 1.4 cm. to 1.3 cm. 

 long by 0.8 cm. wide; on the rounded side, the suture of the carpels 

 continues as a deep groove. The reddish brown outer portion appears 

 above the calyx scar ; pedicel short, surrounded by the withered 

 calyculus in a collar-like fashion. By the frequent abortion of one 

 seed, half of the fruit arches itself over so that the calyx scar and 

 pedicel appear closely approximated. 



Diagnostic Characters of the Species: — Note the fruit descrip- 

 tion above. Flowers very numerous (up to 40) in a fascicle. Fruit 

 mass may be 5 cm. in diameter. 



Geographical Distribution : — African Tropics ; Native Coffee of 

 Ishiras; Gabon (Herb. L. Pierre R.S.K. No. 247) ; Java and Mada- 

 gascar by introduction. 



History: — Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner was collected in 

 Gabon, Africa, and was described in 1897. It is a very precocious 

 species, and often yields 100 kg. of coffee per acre at the age of 

 four years. In equatorial regions, it may be cultivated up to an 

 altitude of 800 metres. It has been introduced and cultivated in 

 Madagascar and Java, where plantations yield 600 to 900 kg. of 

 coffee per acre. C. canephora Pierre ex Froehner is susceptible to 

 Hemileia vastatrix; and this fact has hindered its extended cultivation. 

 The caffeine-content of the seeds is 1.97%. 



This species is exceedingly variable and as many as nine varieties 

 have been described. Pierre recognized and described seven of which 

 I believe only one is distinct enough in its individualistic composition 

 to warrant description as a separate economic form at the present 



