Leaf variegation in coffee plants is a relatively common abnormality, and variegated seedlings have been found to occur spontaneously in progenies of most varieties of Coffea arabica L. For this reason it is thought that variegated types should not be described as distinct varieties, as it was done before by Cramer. Variegated coffee plants can be grouped in two categories : first, those in which variegated leaves are normal in shape and texture, but do not show a uniform variegation pattern; and second, those in which malformation is present, but the variegation pattern is uniform throughout the entire plant. Usually only a few branches of plants in the first group are variegated, and it has been observed that sometimes the two leaves from the same node may show similar patterns of variegation. Variegated leaves have also been found in which half the blade is variegated or even albino, whereas the other half presents normal green color. Only preliminary genetical data are available for most of the variegated plants under investigation. It has been determined that the type of variegation of plant number 180, belonging to the first group, is inherited through the cytoplasm, but not through the pollen. The type of variegation of plant 253-21, of the second group, seems to be transmitted through the pollen.