Posted by aboutcocaleaf | Posted in 2. About Coca Leaf | Posted on 10-05-2011
Coca (Erythroxylum coca) is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in traditional Andean culture. Coca is best known throughout the world because of its alkaloids, methylecgonine cinnamate, benzoylecgonine, truxilline, hydroxytropacocaine, tropacocaine, ecgonine, cuscohygrine, dihydrocuscohygrine, nicotine, cocaine, and hygrine. Many of the alkaloids contained in the leaf provide physiological effects useful for medicinal purposes. When chewed, coca acts as a mild stimulant and suppresses hunger, thirst, pain, and fatigue. Coca also eases sickness due to high altitudes.
The plant is similar in appearance to a blackthorn bush, and can grow to a height of 7-10ft. The branches are straight, and the leaves, which have a green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, and taper at the extremities. The flowers are small, and disposed in little clusters on short stalks. The corolla is composed of five yellowish-white petals, the anthers are heart-shaped, and the pistil consists of three carpels coupled to form a three-chambered ovary. The flowers mature into red berries. The leaves are sometimes eaten by the larvae of the Eloria noyesi moth. (2)