Coprosma hirtella
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coffee-berry | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Coprosma |
| Species: | C. hirtella |
| Binomial name | |
| Coprosma hirtella | |
Coprosma hirtella, or coffee-berry,[2] is a shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It grows to about 2 metres high and has leaves that are between 15 and 50 mm long and 10 to 25 mm wide.[3] Plants have male and female flower clusters that appear between August and April.[3] These are followed by orange to reddish fruits that are 7 to 8 mm in diameter.[4]
The species was formally described by French botanist Jacques Labillardière in 1805, based on plant specimens collected in Tasmania.[1] It is a common plant of moist montane forests in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.[3]
The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records "Fruit sweet, eatable, not agreeable. The fruits of other species may be eaten also."[5]
