e green, some ripe and
of a brilliant red. The corolla has been known to have seven segments,
though as a rule it has five. The fruits are large, round, and dull red;
the pulps are not juicy, and are somewhat bitter. Unlike _Coffea
arabica_, the ripened drupes do not fall from the trees, and so the
picking can be delayed at the planter's convenience.

[Illustration: DIFFERENTIATING CHARACTERISTICS OF COFFEE BEANS, IN
CROSS-SECTION

Col. I. Mature bean. Col. II. Embryo.

_A. Coffea arabica, R. Coffea robusta, L. Coffea liberica_]

Among the allied Liberian species Dr. Cramer recognizes:

_Abeokutae_, having small leaves of a bright green, flower buds
often pink just before opening (in Liberian coffee never), fruit
smaller with sharply striped red and yellow shiny skin, and
producing somewhat smaller beans than Liberian coffee, but beans
whose flavor and taste are praised by brokers;

_Dewevrei_, having curled edged leaves, stiff branches,
thick-skinned berries, sometimes pink flowers, beans generally
smaller than in _C. liberica_, but of little interest to the trade;

_Arnoldiana_, a species near to _Coffea Abeokutae_ having darker
foliage and the even colored small berries;

_Laurentii Gillet_, a species not to be confused with the _C.
Laurentii_ belonging to the _robusta_ coffee, but standing near to
_C. liberica_, characterized by oblong rather than thin-skinned
berries;

_Excelsa_, a vigorous, disease-resisting species discovered in 1905
by Aug. Chevalier in West Africa, in the region of the Chari River,
not far from Lake Tchad. The broad, dark-green leaves have an under
side of light green with a bluish tinge; the flowers are large and
white, borne in axillary clusters of one to five; the berries are
short and broad, in color crimson, the bean smaller than _robusta_,
very like _Mocha_, but in color a bright yellow like _liberica_.
The caffein content of the coffee is high, and the aroma is very
pronounced;

_Dybowskii_, another disease-resisting variety similar to
_excelsa_, but having different leaf and fruit characteristics;

_Lamboray_, having bent gutter-like leaves, and soft-skinned,
oblong fruit;

_Wanni Rukula_, having large leaves, a vigorous growth, and small
berries;

_Coffea aruwimensis_, being a mixture of different types.

[Illustration: