Liberica
Coffea liberica W. Bull ex Hiern
Coffea liberica is the third cultivated coffee species, a tall tree from the lowland forests of West and Central Africa whose group also includes excelsa. It was spread through the tropics in the late 1800s as a rust-tolerant alternative to arabica, failed as a bulk crop partly because unsuitable material was distributed, and persists in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia where it is now reviving. Genomic work published in 2025 splits the group into three species, C. liberica, C. dewevrei (excelsa) and C. klainei, and shows that many planted trees are liberica x excelsa hybrids. Caffeine is in the arabica range. It also serves as a rootstock and as the donor of the SH3 rust gene.
Rust tolerant
- Varieties here
- 2
- Descendants
- 1
- Countries grown
- 12
- Traits published
- 6of 14
The species
This atlas's own table- Species
- Liberica
- Genetic group
- Species
- Stature
- not published
- Leaf tip
- not published
- Bean size
- not published
- Yield
- not published
- Leaf rust
- Tolerant
- Coffee berry disease
- not published
- Nematodes
- not published
- Best altitude
- Low
- Cup quality
- distinctive; variable
- Released
- not published
- Breeder or selector
- not published
- Origin
- Liberia
Diploid; group proposed to comprise three species; C. liberica centred on upper West Africa, C. dewevrei on Central and East Africa, C. klainei on West-Central Africa.
Countries grown
MalaysiaPhilippinesIndonesiaUgandaSouth SudanLiberiaSierra LeoneCôte d'IvoireGuineaIndiaVietnamFiji
Germplasm accessions
- USDA-NPGS GRIN-Globalrecord
taxon 11109 (16 accessions, 0 active)