The Robusta coffee plant may be known as the commercial and inferior relative of Arabica, but without it, we wouldn’t have the Arabica we have today. Robusta is the parent (and possibly mother) plant of Arabica, and the parent (or mother) species that Robusta combined to produce Arabica is known as Coffea Eugenioides.
People hardly bred this species for cultivation, and people only noticed recently. Colombian producer Camilio Marisande has been experimenting with unique and rare varieties in recent years.