Coca, Cocaine
Erythroxylum coca
Family: Erythroxylaceae
What it is like
An erect evergreen shrub. It grows 3.5 m tall. It spreads about 1.5 m wide. The trunk is slender and branching. The leaves are oval but taper to a short tip. They are bright green and 6 cm long. The flowers have five petals and are yellowish-white. They are 6 mm across and are carried in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is soft and fleshy and 8 mm long. They are red berries.
There are about 250 Erythroxylum species. It contains tropane alkaloids.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Andes, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Nicaragua, Northeastern India, Peru, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South America, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, West Africa
How it is used for food
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. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.
It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Leaves - tea
How it is grown
Plants are grown by cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Bolivian coca