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Coffea sp. Family Rubiaceae updated Dec 09 Where seen? Almost everyone knows about coffee but few have seen a coffee bush! You can see several at Pulau Ubin's Sensory Trail. According to Corners, there are about 40 species in tropical Africa and Asia, with 3 wild species in Malaya. Features: A tall bush (to about 5m). Leaves large. Flowers small, white or green, and fragrant. According to Corners, the flowers bloom in synchrony. The buds develop to a certain size then remain dormant until there is a sudden drop in temperatures following a storm during hot weather. Then all the flowers bloom at the same time. The oval green berries ripen red or purple, taking many months and ripening at different rates. There are two large seeds inside the berries which are the beans used to make our coffee! Civet-processed coffee: 'Kopi Luwak' is a type of expensive gourmet coffee, possibly the most expensive. It is made from coffee beans that have been 'processed' by a Common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Yes, the civet cat eats the coffee beans, which passes out and are collected to be made into coffee for humans to drink! Human uses: This story of coffee is as rich and interesting as the drink itself. Below are links to some sites with more details. |
 Pulau Ubin, Dec 09 |
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 Pulau Ubin, Dec 09 |
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Links
References
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Singapore University Press. 222 pp.|
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