Scientists have reported that a new coffee species discovered in Honduras in 2013 is now endangered. The species that was named Sommera cusocoana was discovered in North-Western Honduras.
The rare coffee plant is ten metres high and produces cream-colored flowers. The plant was named according to the location where it was found, in this case, the only known location at Cusuco National Park.
Scientists believe that the species is in danger especially because there have been a lot of logging activities in the region over the past few years.
Researchers claim that the coffee species must, therefore, be declared endangered according to the criteria provided by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The research was part of a plant diversity study by Anke Dietzsch and Daniel Kelly from the University of Dublin in Ireland. The study targeted the Cusuco National Park as part of a wider survey by Operation Wallacea, an international organization that handles conservation management research programmes and biodiversity.
The two co-workers found out that the Cusuco National Park has a lot of diverse plant life especially the rare plant species including those that are not yet known.
The two researchers hope that the publication of their findings will help spearhead more support for the conservation of the park and its diverse plant life.
The news of the endangered coffee plant is expected to raise curiosity in the minds of endangered many coffee lovers with regards to the quality of its produce.
Most species usually tend to have superiority over their regular counterparts. If that is the case with the Sommera cusocoana, then there is even more reason the species should be salvaged and nurtured to a level where it will be available for mass production.
The research findings from the team were first published in the Journal PhytoKeys.
