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 65 feet), with glossy ovoid leaves up to 30 cm (1 foot) long and star-shaped fruit.Duke, James A. (2001). Handbook of Nuts
Origin and distribution Cola is a genus of the family Malvaceae with approximately 140 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 139 species are accepted.
Cola acuminata (P.Beauv.) Schott & Endl. Cola altissima Engl. Cola angustifolia K.Schum. Cola anomala K.Schum. Cola argentea Mast. Cola asymmetrica Cola attiensis Aubrév. & Pellegr. Cola baldwinii 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 cheringoma 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 dorrii Cola duparquetiana Baill. Cola edeensis Engl. & K.Krause Cola elegans Pierre ex Breteler Cola etugei 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 kodminensis 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 mamboana Cola marsupium K.Schum. Cola mayimbensis Pellegr. Cola mayumbensis Exell Cola megalophylla Brenan & Keay Cola metallica Cheek Cola micrantha Cola microcarpa Cola millenii K.Schum. Cola minor Brenan Cola mixta A.Chev. Cola mossambicensis Wild Cola mosserayana Germ. Cola moussavoui 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 rhynchophylla Cola ricinifolia Engl. & K.Krause Cola rondoensis Cheek Cola rostrata K.Schum. Cola roy 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 stigmatosa Cola subglaucescens Engl. Cola suboppositifolia Cheek Cola sulcata Engl. Cola supfiana Cola takamanda Cola tessmannii Engl. & K.Krause Cola toyota 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. Cola zanaga Cola zemagoana
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