Coffea liberica W. Bull ex Hiern, Rubiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 1 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: da li ka fei

English: Liberian coffee, excelsa coffee, liberica coffee

French: caféier de Liberia

Maori (Cook Islands): kaope papa‘ā

Pohnpeian: marasau, wahnrose pwetepwet

Spanish: cafeto de Liberia

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A robust small to medium tree (when not pruned); leaves oblong-obovate, very coriaceous, acuminate, base acute, 15-35 cm long, 6-15 cm wide, on petiole of 1-2 cm; lateral nerves 6-12 pairs; cymes few together; flowers solitary on peduncle; pedicels 2-5 mm; calyx-tube 4 mm; corolla 2.5-3 cm long, 6-11-lobed; ripe fruit large, 1.8-3 cm long, red, with thick mesocarp" (Stone, 1970; p. 542).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "infrequently cultivated...at elevations from near sea level to about 200 m, and also sparingly naturalized in light forest and along trails (Smith, 1988; pp. 224-225).

Propagation:  Seeds, often dispersed by birds, fruit bats and rats (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 102).

Native range:  West Africa and eastward to Sudan and Uganda (Smith, 1988; pp. 224-225).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 394) Taxon name on voucher: Coffea liberica
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 127) Vouchers cited: A. Dores 229 (NY, PTBG), F.R. Fosberg 60434 (BISH), S. Perlman 21404 (PTBG)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 46142) Taxon name on voucher: Coffea liberica
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1988) (pp. 224-225) Voucher cited: DA 15767 Sparingly naturalized.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1988) (pp. 224-225) Vouchers cited: DA 11638, DA 1550, DA 5515, DA 13223 Sparingly naturalized.
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced cultivated	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 24) Voucher cited: St. John 14840 (BISH)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 232) Voucher cited: Florence 9298
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 9298 (PAP) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 232) Voucher cited: Birnbaum 103
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 4654 (PAP), P. Birnbaum 103 (PAP) Naturalisée.
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J.Florence (legit A. Lacour) 7897 (PAP) Naturalisée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 542) Present status unknown.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Imada, Clyde T./Herbst, Derral R. (2002) (pp. 14-15) Voucher cited: C. Imada & G. Staples 2000-11 (BISH) Widespread
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 123) Voucher cited: MacKee 38080
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (pp. 175-176) Voucher cited: CHR 170412
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 264)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1966) (voucher ID: BNM 656) Taxon name on voucher: Coffea liberica Miers?
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	cultivated	Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 535) Cultivated.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 544) Somewhat cultivated.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 102)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated in moist, warm to cool regions.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 28) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 110)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  In Guam, "sparingly cultivated..., perhaps no longer persisting" (Stone, 1970; p. 542).  Introduced experimentally to Niue (Sykes, 1970; pp. 175-176) but not noted on more recent surveys.  See also C. arabica.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Coffea liberica, please let us know.