Coffea mauritiana
Lam.
Maroon coffee, Mascarene coffee
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(c) Pierre-Louis Stenger, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pierre-Louis Stenger
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Wikimedia Commons - Abu Shawka
Description
A shrub or small tree. It grows 7 m tall. The leaves are dark green and shiny. They are simple, smooth and opposite. The flowers are white and like stars. They have a smell. They grow in clusters in the axils of the leaves. The fruit are are green then yellow to brown. They turn purple when ripe.
Edible Uses
The beans or seeds are roasted and used to make a beverage; the coffee produced is notably low in caffeine.
Known Hazards
The plant is almost extinct and protected by law.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in evergreen forests up to 1,200 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, Hawaii, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Mauritius*, Reunion, SE Asia,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seeds.
Notes
The coffee is low in caffeine. The plant is almost extinct and being protected.
Also Known As
Kopi maskarena, Mauritius coffee
References (3)
- http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant details.php
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 616
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
