Types vs. Varieties: How the coffee world is really structured

In botany, a strict distinction is made between coffee types and coffee varieties.
A species describes the basic plant form within the genus Coffea – comparable to “apple” as a fruit type.
A variety (cultivar), on the other hand, is a subordinate, specifically bred or naturally occurring variant within a species – comparable to “Gala” or “Granny Smith”.

Today, over 120 Coffea species have been scientifically described worldwide.

However, only a small part of this plays an economic role, especially the "big four":

• Coffea arabica

• Coffea canephora (Robusta)

• Coffea liberica

• Coffea excelsa (Liberica var. dewevrei)

These four types differ in taste, growing conditions, resilience, and genetic diversity.

These species in turn give rise to numerous varieties that play a crucial role in coffee cultivation, especially in the specialty coffee sector.
Arabica, in particular, boasts an enormous variety of types – from Typica and Bourbon to Caturra, SL28 or Geisha, and even modern F1 hybrids.
Robusta (Canephora) also has regional varieties such as Conilon, Kouillou or the BP and S selections.
Liberica is mainly cultivated in regionally adapted lines such as Barako or Excelsa, while Excelsa itself is considered a separate variety within Liberica and is predominantly marketed as a landrace.

This creates a multifaceted coffee landscape:
The species determines the basic structure – the variety shapes the character.