Erythroxylum coca var. coca
Erythroxylum coca var. coca, commonly known as the coca plant, is a perennial shrub native to the Andean regions of South America. Historically revered by indigenous cultures, its leaves contain alkaloids used for traditional medicinal purposes, including alleviating altitude sickness, fatigue, and digestive issues through ritualistic mastication.
- Scientific name: Erythroxylum coca var. coca
- Family: Erythroxylaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Malpighiales, it is classified under the family Erythroxylaceae and the genus Erythroxylum. Specifically, the variety is identified as Erythroxylum coca var. coca.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Erythroxylaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Erythroxylum | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, scientifically known as Erythroxylum coca var. coca, is recognized by a variety of common names across different linguistic and cultural contexts. In English, it is most frequently referred to as the coca plant, while in Spanish, it is known as coca. In Quechua, the indigenous language of the Andes, it is called kuka, and in Aymara, it is referred to as k'uka.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning multiple continents and tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, it can be found specifically within Guinea-Bissau. Its presence extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it inhabits Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Moving toward East Tropical Africa, the species is also documented in Tanzania. Finally, its range reaches into Eastern Asia, specifically within the Kazan-retto region.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Kazan-retto | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Northwestern Pacific | Caroline Is. | WCVP |
| Western South America | Bolivia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Colombia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Ecuador | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Erythroxylum coca var. coca, is most highly valued for its leaves, which contain the primary medicinal and psychoactive alkaloids. These elliptical, green leaves are harvested and processed to extract substances such as cocaine, which has historically been used in both traditional Andean medicine and various pharmacological applications. While the entire shrub is a biological entity, it is specifically the chemical composition within these leaves that defines the plant's significance in global ethnobotany.- Total parts
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Erythroxylum coca var. coca has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cocaine, cis-cinnamoylcocaine, cuscohygrine, hygrine, trans-cinnamoylcocaine.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 7
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cocaine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cis-cinnamoylcocaine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cuscohygrine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hygrine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| trans-cinnamoylcocaine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tropacocaine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |