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Summary
Erythroxylum coca, otherwise known as Coca or Little Coca, is an evergreen small tree growing up to 3.5 m tall. It has straight branches, thin leaves that are opaque and oval, and small flowers. It is commonly found in South America particularly in northern Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. The leaves contain cocaine and other alkaloids. Such alkaloids are extracted and used to make various pharmaceutical drugs.
Physical Characteristics
Erythroxylum coca is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Erythroxylum bolivianum Burck, Erythroxylum chilpei E.Machado, Erythroxylum coca var. coca
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves Seed
Edible Uses: Drink Tea
Edible portion: Leaves - tea. The dried leaves yield a substance called cocaine which is a stimulant. The leaves are used to make coca "wine". The leaves are chewed as a masticatory. The extract from the nut is used to flavour drinks, candy and alcoholic drinks.
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anaesthetic Narcotic Stimulant Tonic
The leaves contain cocaine and other alkaloids. They are narcotic, cerebral-stimulant and locally anaesthetic[ 46 ]. The alkaloids are extracted and used to make various pharmaceutical drugs, including a local anaesthetic[ 46 , 348 ]. Chewed with lime or plant ashes the leaves cause a feeling of easiness and increasing energy. Therefore they are used by native peoples as a stimulant to better endure hunger, thirst and physical stress[ 317 ]. An infusion of the leaves serves also as remedy for altitude sickness, the feared 'soroche'[ 317 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
A plant of moderate to higher elevations in the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 17 - 23°c, but can tolerate 14 - 27°c[ 418 ]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -5°c or lower, but young growth will be severely damaged at -1°c[ 418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,100mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,000mm[ 418 ]. Widely cultivated in the Andean region of the tropics, where it locally also occurs wild, the plant is not easy to cultivate elsewhere, and it is little known in other parts of the world. In South-East Asia, it is only grown in botanical gardens, not as a crop[ 310 ]. The form Erythroxylum coca ipadu is only found as a cultivated plant in Amazonian lowland rain forest areas[ 310 ]. Grows best in a sunny position[ 418 ]. Succeeds in most fertile, well-drained soils[ 418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.3 - 8[ 418 ]. Plants take 1 - 3 years from seed to the first harvest, and then have an economical life of around 20 years[ 418 ]. Annual yields are up to 2 tonnes/ha of dried leaves[ 418 ]. Flowering Time: Late Winter/Early Spring Mid Spring Late Spring/Early Summer Mid Summer. Bloom Color: White/Near White.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
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Plant Propagation
Plants are grown by cuttings. Seed.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Coca, coca plant, cocae folium, cocal, cocalier, cocaïer, erythroxylon coca, ipadu, koka, kokabuske, kokastrauch,
Native Range
SOUTHERN AMERICA: Bolivia (Andean), Peru (Andean)
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
Lam.
Botanical References
1
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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Subject : Erythroxylum coca
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