Cola (plant)

''Cola'' is a genus of trees native to the tropical forests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae (previously in the separate family Sterculiaceae). Species in this genus are sometimes referred to as kola tree or kola nut for the caffeine-containing fruit produced by the trees that is often used as a flavoring ingredient in beverages. The genus was thought to be closely related to the South American genus ''Theobroma'', or cocoa, but the latter is now placed in a different subfamily. They are evergreen trees, growing up to 20 m tall (about 60 feet), with glossy ovoid leaves up to 30 cm long and star-shaped fruit.

Origin and distribution

''Cola'' is a genus of the Family Malvaceae with approximately 100 to 125 species occurring in the evergreen lowland and montane forest of continental (primarily tropical) Africa. The earliest known evidence of ''Cola'' is ''Cola amharaensis'', a well-preserved fossil leaf compression from the late Oligocene Guang River flora of Ethiopia and dated to 27.23 ± 0.1 Ma. Kola nuts are seeds harvested from pods, primarily from the species ''Cola nitida'' and ''Cola acuminata''. Outside mainland Africa, some species are cultivated for their nuts in Brazil, Jamaica and elsewhere in the humid tropics.

Species

* ''Cola acuminata'' (P.Beauv.) Schott & Endl.
* '' Cola alba'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola altissima'' Engl.
* ''Cola angustifolia'' K.Schum.
* ''Cola anomala'' K.Schum.
* ''Cola argentea'' Mast.
* ''Cola attiensis'' Aubrév. & Pellegr.
* ''Cola ballayi'' Cornu ex Heckel
* ''Cola bilenguensis'' Pellegr.
* ''Cola bipindensis'' Engl.
* ''Cola bodardii'' Pellegr.
* ''Cola boxiana'' Brenan & Keay
* ''Cola brevipes'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola bruneelii'' De Wild.
* '' Cola buesgenii'' Engl.
* '' Cola buntingii'' Baker f.
* '' Cola cabindensis'' Exell
* '' Cola caricifolia'' (G.Don) K.Schum.
* '' Cola cauliflora'' Mast.
* '' Cola cecidiifolia'' Cheek
* '' Cola chlamydantha'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola chlorantha'' F.White
* '' Cola clavata'' Mast.
* '' Cola coccinea'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola congolana'' De Wild. & T.Durand
* '' Cola cordifolia'' (Cav.) R.Br.
* '' Cola crispiflora'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola digitata'' Mast.
* '' Cola discoglypremnophylla'' Brenan & A.P.D.Jones
* '' Cola diversifolia'' De Wild. & T.Durand
* '' Cola duparquetiana'' Baill.
* '' Cola edeensis'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola elegans'' Pierre ex Breteler
* '' Cola fibrillosa'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola ficifolia'' Mast.
* '' Cola flaviflora'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola flavovelutina'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola gabonensis'' Mast.
* '' Cola gigantea'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola gigas'' Baker f.
* '' Cola gilgiana'' Engl.
* '' Cola gilletii'' De Wild.
* '' Cola glabra'' Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola glaucoviridis'' Pellegr.
* ''Cola greenwayi'' Brenan
* '' Cola griseiflora'' De Wild.
* '' Cola heterophylla'' (P.Beauv.) Schott & Endl.
* '' Cola hispida'' Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola hypochrysea'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola idoumensis'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola kimbozensis'' Cheek
* '' Cola lasiantha'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola lateritia'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola laurifolia'' Mast.
* '' Cola le-testui'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola lepidota'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola letouzeyana'' Nkongmeneck
* '' Cola liberica'' Jongkind
* '' Cola lissachensis'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola lizae'' N.Hallé
* '' Cola lomensis'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola lorougnonis'' Aké Assi
* '' Cola louisii'' Germ.
* ''Cola lukei'' Cheek
* '' Cola macrantha'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola mahoundensis'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola marsupium'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola mayimbensis'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola mayumbensis'' Exell
* '' Cola megalophylla'' Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola metallica'' Cheek
* '' Cola millenii'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola minor'' Brenan
* '' Cola mixta'' A.Chev.
* ''Cola mossambicensis'' Wild
* '' Cola mosserayana'' Germ.
* '' Cola nana'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola natalensis'' Oliv.
* '' Cola ndongensis'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola nigerica'' Brenan & Keay
* ''Cola nitida'' (Vent.) Schott & Endl.
* '' Cola noldeae'' Exell & Mendonça
* '' Cola obtusa'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola octoloboides'' Brenan

* '' Cola pachycarpa'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola pallida'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola philipi-jonesii'' Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola pierlotii'' Germ.
* '' Cola porphyrantha'' Brenan
* '' Cola praeacuta'' Brenan & Keay
* ''Cola pseudoclavata'' Cheek
* '' Cola pulcherrima'' Engl.
* '' Cola quentinii'' Cheek
* '' Cola quintasii'' Engl.
* '' Cola reticulata'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola ricinifolia'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola rondoensis'' Cheek
* '' Cola rostrata'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola ruawaensis'' Cheek
* '' Cola rubra'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola scheffleri'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola sciaphila'' Louis ex Germ.
* '' Cola selengana'' Germ.
* '' Cola semecarpophylla'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola simiarum'' Sprague ex Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola sphaerocarpa'' A.Chev.
* '' Cola sphaerosperma'' Heckel
* '' Cola stelechantha'' Brenan
* '' Cola subglaucescens'' Engl.
* '' Cola suboppositifolia'' Cheek
* '' Cola sulcata'' Engl.
* '' Cola tessmannii'' Engl. & K.Krause
* '' Cola triloba'' (R.Br.) K.Schum.
* '' Cola tsandensis'' Pellegr.
* '' Cola uloloma'' Brenan
* '' Cola umbratilis'' Brenan & Keay
* '' Cola urceolata'' K.Schum.
* '' Cola usambarensis'' Engl.
* '' Cola vandersmisseniana'' Germ.
* ''Cola verticillata'' (Thonn.) Stapf ex A.Chev.
* '' Cola welwitschii'' Exell & Mendonça ex R.Germ.
* '' Cola winkleri'' Engl.

References

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Malvaceae genera