ABSTRACT
Coffee is an evergreen shrub or small tree, normally growing 3 to 5 m high, which belongs to the family Rubiaceae. Its name comes from the Arabian designation for the drink, itself derived from Caffa, a district of southern Ethiopia. Arabica and Robusta coffee have different ecological requirements, the latter being more tolerant to high temperature. Arabica is grown in subtropical latitudes where most plantations are established at relatively low elevations and shade is not required. Arabica coffee is the most important export crop of tropical America, where it is cultivated practically in all countries, the only exceptions being Chile and Uruguay. Coffee is a dimorphic plant, with a main orthotropic branch and several plagiotropic ones. Flowers are only produced from the axillary buds of the plagiotropic branches. Several authors have studied the development of the coffee inflorescence and flower buds after differentiation. Coffee flowers usually open in the first hours of the morning and remain open throughout the day.
