The species C. arabica L. is tetraploid (2n=44) : among its progénie plants are found which are di-haploid (2n = 22), hexaploid (2n = 66) and octoploid (2n = 88). The origin of the first ones is attributed to parthenogenesis ; the last two must be formed by the the union of unreduced gametes or through processes of chromosome doubling. A parthenogenetic process is also attributed to the formation of tetraploids when the tetraploid plants are pollinated by the hexaploids. The cross C. arabica (2n=44) x C. canephora (2n = 22) gives besides the expected triploids, individuals with the same number of chromosomes as the seed parent; in various instances this occurrence is attributed to parthenogenesis. Parthenocarpic fruits and parthenogenetic embryos have been formed in a cross of diploid and tetraploid individuals, of C. canephora. These observations show that in both interspecific and intraspecific crosses of Coffea, a difference in number of chromosomes determines sometimes parthenogenesis, parthenocarpy and other phenomena such as the union of unreduced gametes and the doubling of the chromosomes of normal egg cells.