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| − | {{Taxobox | + | __NOTOC__{{Plantbox |
| − | | color = lightgreen | + | | latin_name = ''Erythroxylum coca'' |
| − | | name = Coca | + | | common_names = <!--- if multiple, list all, if none, leave blank --> |
| − | | image = Koeh-204.jpg | + | | growth_habit = ? <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc --> |
| − | | image_width = 240px | + | | high = ? <!--- 1m (3 ft) --> |
| − | | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | + | | wide = <!--- 65cm (25 inches) --> |
| − | | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | + | | origin = ? <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc --> |
| − | | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | + | | poisonous = <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous --> |
| − | | ordo = [[Malpighiales]] | + | | lifespan = <!--- perennial, annual, etc --> |
| − | | familia = [[Erythroxylaceae]] | + | | exposure = ? <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) --> |
| − | | genus = ''[[Erythroxylum]]'' | + | | water = ? <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak --> |
| − | | species = '''''E. coca''''' | + | | features = <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive --> |
| − | | binomial = ''Erythroxylum coca'' | + | | hardiness = <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc --> |
| − | | binomial_authority = [[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck|Lam.]]}}
| + | | bloom = <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers --> |
| | + | | usda_zones = ? <!--- eg. 8-11 --> |
| | + | | sunset_zones = <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available --> |
| | + | | color = IndianRed |
| | + | | image = Erythroxylum coca.jpg |
| | + | | image_width = 240px <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical --> |
| | + | | image_caption = <!--- eg. Cultivated freesias --> |
| | + | | familia = Erythroxylaceae |
| | + | | genus = Erythroxylum |
| | + | | species = coca |
| | + | }} |
| | + | {{Inc| |
| | + | Erythroxylon Coca, Lam. Shrub, 5-6 ft. high, with rusty brown, slender branches, on the extreme tips of which the Lvs. are borne: below the Lvs., on the wood of the preceding year, which is reddish, clusters of 3-5 yellow 5-lobed fls. ¼ in. across spring from the protection of the small scales that line the branchlets, and which are colored like the bark: Lvs. oval, obovate or elliptical, differing in different cult. strains or varieties, about 1½-2½ in. long and marked on the under side with 2 lines extending on either side of the midrib from base to apex. Native country uncertain; the earliest described form, which happens to be Peruvian, was named by Lamarck Erythroxylum Coca, and figured in B.M. 7334. The Lvs. of this form are about 2½ in. long, oblong- obovate, tapering to a short stalk, rounded at the apex, the midrib extending beyond into a short, sharp point. Coca is grown commercially on a large scale throughout S. Amer., and also in Java and Ceylon. There are 2 leading commercial varieties, according to Kraemer,— the Bolivian or Huanco, and the Peruvian or Truxillo. The lvs. are picked when fully grown, and quickly dried in the sun. The shrub is said to require for its best development a very humid atmosphere and comparatively high elevation. Coca should not be confused with cocoa and cacao, which are discussed under Theobroma. |
| | + | {{SCH}} |
| | + | }} |
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| − | '''Coca''' is a [[plant]] in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Erythroxylaceae]], native to north-western [[South America]]. The plant plays a significant role in traditional [[Andean culture]]. It was used by ancestor cultures as the Inca's Empire of Peru as a gift from the Gods, but is best-known in modern times for the stimulant drug [[cocaine]] that is extracted from its new fresh leaf tips in a similar fashion to [[Tea|tea bush]] harvesting.
| + | ==Cultivation== |
| | + | {{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
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| − | The plant resembles a [[blackthorn|blackthorn bush]], and grows to a height of 2–3 [[metre|m]] (7–10 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]). The branches are straight, and the [[leaf|leaves]], which have a green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, more or less tapering at the extremities. A marked characteristic of the leaf is an areolated portion bounded by two longitudinal curved lines, one line on each side of the midrib, and more conspicuous on the under face of the leaf.
| + | ===Propagation=== |
| | + | {{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
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| − | The [[flower]]s are small, and disposed in little clusters on short stalks; the corolla is composed of five yellowish-white [[petal]]s, the [[anther]]s are heart-shaped, and the [[pistil]] consists of three carpels united to form a three-chambered ovary. The flowers mature into red [[berry|berries]].
| + | ===Pests and diseases=== |
| | + | {{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
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| − | The leaves are sometimes eaten by the [[larva]]e of the [[moth]] ''[[Eloria noyesi]]''.
| + | ==Species== |
| | + | <!-- This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc --> |
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| − | ==Species and classification== | + | ==Gallery== |
| − | There are twelve main species and varieties. Two subspecies, ''Erythroxylum coca'' var. ''coca'' and ''E. coca'' var. ''ipadu'', are almost indistinguishable phenotypically; a related high cocaine-bearing species has two subspecies, ''E. novogranatense'' var. ''novogranatense'' and ''E. novogranatense'' var. ''truxillense'' that are phenotypically similar, but morphologically distinguishable. Under the older [[Cronquist system]] of classifying [[flowering plant]]s, this was placed in an [[order (biology)|order]] [[Linales]]; more modern systems place it in the order [[Malpighiales]].
| + | {{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery --> |
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| − | ==Cultivation and uses==
| + | <gallery> |
| − | [[Image:Erythroxylum coca.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Leaves and berries]]
| + | Image:Koeh-204.jpg|drawing |
| − | Coca is traditionally [[Agriculture|cultivated]] in the lower altitudes of the eastern slopes of the [[Andes]], or the highlands depending on the species grown. Since ancient times, its leaves have been used as a [[stimulant]] by some of the Andean people of [[Peru]], [[Colombia]], [[Ecuador]], [[Venezuela]], [[Bolivia]]. In the highlands, it is used as a breathing aid. It also has [[religion|religious]] and symbolic significance.
| + | Image:Upload.png| photo 1 |
| − | | + | Image:Upload.png| photo 2 |
| − | Coca leaf is the raw material for the [[manufacturing|manufacture]] of the [[psychoactive drug|drug]] [[cocaine]]. Though legal and necessary for medical uses, e.g., nose and throat anaesthesia, since the [[1980s]], the unrestricted cultivation of coca has been opposed by Western interests because the leaf is also used for the production of cocaine destined for the recreational drug market, which is [[law|illegal]] in most countries.
| + | Image:Upload.png| photo 3 |
| − | | + | </gallery> |
| − | Good fresh samples of the dried leaves are uncurled, are of a deep green on the upper, and a grey-green on the lower surface, and have a strong [[tea]]-like [[odor]]; when [[chewing|chewed]] they produce a pleasurable numbness in the mouth, and have a pleasant, pungent [[taste]]. They are traditionally chewed with lime to increase the release of cocaine from the leaf. Bad specimens, usually old or stale leaves, have a [[camphor]]aceous smell and a brownish colour, and lack the pungent taste.
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| − | The [[seed]]s are sown from December to January in small plots (almacigas) sheltered from the [[sun]], and the young plants when at 40–60 cm in height are placed in final planting holes (aspi), or if the ground is level, in furrows (uachos) in carefully [[weed]]ed soil. The plants thrive best in hot, damp and humid situations, such as the clearings of [[forest]]s; but the leaves most preferred are obtained in drier localities, on the sides of hills. The leaves are gathered from plants varying in age from one and a half to upwards of forty years, but only the new fresh growth is harvested. They are considered ready for plucking when they break on being bent. The first and most abundant harvest is in March, after the [[rain]]s; the second is at the end of June, the third in October or November. The green leaves (matu) are spread in thin layers on coarse [[wool]]len [[cloth]]s and dried in the sun; they are then packed in sacks, which must be kept dry in order to preserve the quality of the leaves.
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| − | ===Pharmacological aspects===
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| − | The [[pharmacology|pharmacologically]] active ingredient of coca is the [[alkaloid]] [[cocaine]] which is found in the amount of about 0.2% in fresh leaves. Besides [[cocaine]], the coca leaf contains a number of other [[alkaloid]]s, including [[Methylecgonine cinnamate]], [[Benzoylecgonine]], [[Truxilline]], [[Hydroxytropacocaine]], [[Tropacocaine]], [[Ecgonine]], [[Cuscohygrine]], [[Dihydrocuscohygrine]], [[Nicotine]] and [[Hygrine]]. Some of these non-psychoactive chemicals are still used for the flavouring of [[Coca-Cola]]. When chewed, Coca acts as a stimulant to help suppress hunger sensations, thirst, and fatigue. The [[LD50]] of coca extract is 3,450 mg/kg, however, the LD50 of the extract based on its cocaine content is 31.4 mg/kg.
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| − | ===Traditional uses===
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| − | In the [[Andes]], the [[indigenous peoples]], and during the Inca's Empire of Peru have been chewing the leaves of the coca plant for millennia. They traditionally carried a woven pouch called a ''chuspa'' or ''huallqui'' in which they kept a day's supply of coca leaves, along with a small amount of ''ilucta'' or ''uipta'', which is made from pulverized unslaked [[calcium oxide|lime]] or from the ashes of the [[quinoa]] plant. A tiny quantity of ilucta is chewed together with the coca leaves; it softens their [[astringent]] [[flavor]] and activates the alkaloids. Other names for this basifying substance are ''llipta'' in Peru and the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word ''lejía'', ''lye'' in English. Many of these materials are salty in flavor, but there are variations. The most common base in the [[La Paz]] area of Bolivia is a product known as ''lejía dulce'' (''sweet lye'') which is made from quinoa ashes mixed with anise and cane sugar, forming a soft black putty with a sweet and pleasing licorice flavor. In some places, [[baking soda]] is used under the name ''bico''.
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| − | The practice of chewing coca was most likely originally a simple matter of survival. The coca leaf contained many essential [[nutrient]]s in addition to its more well-known mood-altering alkaloid. It is rich in [[protein]] and [[vitamin]]s, and it grows in regions where other [[food]] sources are scarce. The boost in energy and strength provided by the cocaine in coca leaves was also very functional in an area where [[oxygen]] is scarce and extensive walking is essential. This was also used to alleviate the feeling of hunger, sleepiness and headaches linked to altitude and other [[altitude sickness|altitude sicknesses]]. The coca plant was so central to the worldview of the [[Yunga]] and [[Aymara]] [[tribe]]s of [[South America]] that distance was often measured in units called "cocada", which signified the number of mouthfuls of coca that one would chew while walking from one point to another. ''Cocada'' can also be used as a measurement of time, meaning the amount of time it takes for a mouthful of coca to lose its flavor and activity. In testament of the significance of coca to indigenous cultures, it is widely believed that the word "coca" probably originally meant "plant."
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| − | Coca was also a vital part of the religious cosmology of the Andean tribes in the [[Pre-Inca cultures|pre-Inca period]] as well as throughout the [[Inca Empire]] (Tahuantinsuyu). Coca was historically employed as an offering to the [[Sun]], or to produce smoke at the great sacr
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| − | ifices; and the [[priest]]s, it was believed, must chew it during the performance of religious [[ceremony|ceremonies]], otherwise the gods would not be appeased. Coca is still held in veneration among the indigenous and [[mestizo]] peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and northern Argentina and Chile. It is believed by the miners of [[Cerro de Pasco]] to soften the veins of [[ore]], if masticated (chewed) and thrown upon them (see also [[Cocomama]]). Coca leaves play a crucial part in offerings to the [[apus]] (mountains), [[Inti]] (the sun), or [[Pachamama]] (the earth). Coca leaves are often read in a form of [[divination]] analogous to reading tea leaves in other cultures.
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| − | In the [[Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta]], on the [[Caribbean]] Coast of [[Colombia]], coca is consumed by the [[Kogi]], [[Arhuaco]] & [[Wiwa]] by using a special gadget called poporo. The poporo is the mark of manhood, but it is a female's [[sexual symbol]]. It represents the womb and the stick is a phallic symbol. The movements of the stick in the poporo symbolize the sexual act. For a man the poporo is a good companion which means "food", "woman", "memory" and "meditation". Women are prohibited from using coca. It is important to stress that poporo is the symbol of manhood. But it is the woman who gives men their manhood. When the boy is ready to be married, his mother will initiate him in the use of the coca. This act of initiation is carefully supervised by the mama, a traditional leader.
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| − | The activity of chewing coca is called ''mambear'', ''chacchar'' or ''acullicar'', borrowed from [[Quechua]], or in Bolivia, ''picchar'', derived from the [[Aymara]] language. The Spanish ''masticar'' is also frequently used, along with the slang term "bolear," derived from the word "bola" or ball of coca pouched in the cheek while chewing. Doing so usually causes users to feel a tingling and numbing sensation in their mouths, similar to receiving [[Novocaine]] during a [[dentistry|dental procedure]]. Even today, chewing coca leaves is a common sight in indigenous communities across the central Andean region, particularly in places like the [[mountain]]s of [[Bolivia]], where the cultivation and consumption of coca is as much a part of the national [[culture]] similar to [[chicha]], like [[wine]] is to [[France]] or [[beer]] is to [[Germany]]. It also serves as a powerful symbol of indigenous cultural and religious identity, amongst a diversity of indigenous nations throughout South America. Bags of coca leaves are sold in local [[market]]s and by street vendors. Commercially manufactured [[coca tea]]s are also available in most stores and [[supermarket]]s, including upscale suburban supermarkets.
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| − | ''[[Mate de coca]]'', sometimes called "[[coca tea]]", is a [[tisane]] made from the leaves of the Coca plant (Eritroxilécea). The consumption of [[coca tea]] is a common occurrence in many South American countries. [[Coca tea]] is also used for medicinal and religious purposes by many indigenous tribes in the Andes. On the "[[Inca road system#Inca trail to Machu Picchu|Inca Trail]]" to [[Macchu Picchu]], guides also serve [[coca tea]] with every meal because it is widely believed that it alleviates the symptoms of mild altitude sickness. And traditionally, official governmental persons travelling to [[La Paz]] in [[Bolivia]] are greeted by a ''mate de coca''. News reports noted that [[Princess Anne]] and the late Pope [[John Paul II]] drank the beverage during visits to the region.
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| − | ===International use===
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| − | Coca has a long history of export and use around the world—legal and illegal. Modern export of processed coca (as cocaine) to global markets is well documented, and coca leaves are exported for [[coca tea]], as a food additive ([[Coca-Cola]]), and for medical use. Several pipes taken from [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's]] residence and dated to the seventeenth century have shown evidence of cocaine. [[Queen Victoria]] of England was also a cocaine user. The drug was first introduced to Europe in the 16th century.
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| − | In recent times, the governments o
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| − | f several South American countries, such as Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela, have defended and championed the traditional use of coca, as well as the modern uses of the leaf and its extracts in household products such as teas and toothpaste. Alan Garcia, president of Peru, has recommended its use in salads and other edible preparations. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061220/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/peru_coca]
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| − | ===Industrial use===
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| − | Coca is used industrially in the [[cosmetics]] and food [[industry|industries]]. The [[Coca-Cola]] Company used to buy 115 [[ton]]s of coca leaf from Peru and 105 tons from Bolivia per year, which it has used as a flavouring ingredient in its [[Coca-Cola formula]]. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15359301/site/newsweek/][http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4623350.stm] Coca is sold to the pharmaceutical industry where it is used for various [[anesthesia|anaesthetics]]. Coca is used to produce [[Coca tea]] by Enaco S.A. (National Company of the Coca) a government enterprise in Peru.[http://www.enaco.com.pe] [http://www.narconews.com/Issue35/article1159.html]
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| − | In Colombia, the Paeces, a Tierradentro ([[Cauca]]) indigenous community, started in December 2005 to produce a drink called "[[Coca Sek]]." The production method belongs to the resguardos of Calderas (Inzá) and takes about 150 kg of coca per 3,000 produced bottles.
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| − | ==Legality==
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| − | ===International===
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| − | [[Wikisource:Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs#Article 26: THE COCA BUSH AND COCA LEAVES|Article 26]] of the [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]] states:
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| − | {{quotation|
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| − | #If a Party permits the cultivation of the coca bush, it shall apply thereto and to coca leaves the system of controls as provided in article 23 respecting the control of the opium poppy, but as regards paragraph 2 (d) of that article, the requirements imposed on the Agency therein referred to shall be only to take physical possession of the crops as soon as possible after the end of the harvest.
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| − | #The Parties shall so far as possible enforce the uprooting of all coca bushes which grow wild. They shall destroy the coca bushes if illegally cultivated.}}
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| − | The [[Wikisource:Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs#Article 23: NATIONAL OPIUM AGENCIES|Article 23]] controls referred to in paragraph 1 are rules requiring opium-, coca-, and cannabis-cultivating nations to designate an agency to regulate said cultivation and take physical possession of the crops as soon as possible after harvest. [[Wikisource:Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs#Article 27: ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO COCA LEAVES|Article 27]] states that "The Parties may permit the use of coca leaves for the preparation of a flavouring agent, which shall not contain any alkaloids, and, to the extent necessary for such use, may permit the production, import, export, trade in and possession of such leaves". This provision is designed to accommodate Coca-Cola and other producers of coca products.
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| − | In [[Bolivia]], the president [[Evo Morales]] (elected in December, 2005), a former coca growers union leader, has promised to legalize the cultivation and traditional use of coca. Morales asserts that "''coca no es cocaína''"—the coca leaf is not cocaine. During [http://www.shunpiking.com/ol0307/0307-RD-UN-EM-19sep06.htm his speech] to the [[General Assembly of the United Nations]] on [[19 September]] [[2006]], he held a coca leaf in his hand to demonstrate its innocuity.[http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/61/gastatement19.shtml]
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| − | In [[Hong Kong]], Coca leaves are regulated under Schedule 1 of [[Hong Kong]]'s Chapter 134 ''Dangerous Drugs Ordinance''. It can only be used legally by health professionals and for university research purporses. The substance can be be given by pharmacists under a prescription. Anyone who supplies the substance without prescription can be fined [[Hong Kong dollar|HK$]]10,000. The penalty for trafficking or manufacturing the substance is a HK$5,000,000 fine and life imprisonment. Possession of the substance for consumption without license from the Department of Health is illegal with a HK$1,000,000 fine and/or 7 years
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| − | of imprisonment.
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| − | In [[Peru]], private companies already manufacture coca leaf products.
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| − | More recently, coca has been reintroduced to the U.S. as a flavoring agent in the herbal liquer ''Agwa''. Coca Leaf Tea is also currently for sale on Amazon.com through an independent distributor.
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | * [[Coca eradication]]
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| − | * [[Coca-Cola]]
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| − | * [[Huallaga Valley]]
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| − | * Cost Of Customer Acquisition (from [[telecommunications]])
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| | ==References== | | ==References== |
| − | {{1911}}
| + | *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 |
| − | * Turner C. E., Elsohly M. A., Hanuš L., Elsohly H. N. Isolation of dihydrocuscohygrine from Peruvian coca leaves. Phytochemistry 20 (6), 1403-1405 (1981) | + | <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> |
| − | * "History of Coca. The Divine Plant of the Incas" by W. Golden Mortimer, M.D. 576 pp. And/Or Press San Francisco, 1974. This title has no ISBN. | + | <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> |
| | + | <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> |
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| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| − | {{Commons|Erythroxylum coca}} | + | *{{wplink}} |
| − | * [http://www.sharedresponsibility.gov.co Shared Responsibility]
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| − | * [http://www.akzept.org/pdf/aktuel_pdf/nr10/legalizeCocaineJoepOomen.pdf Legalize Coca Leaves – and Break the Consensus]
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| − | * [http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/129279/1/ OneWorld.net Analysis: Blurred Vision on Coca Eradication]
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| − | * [http://www.cocamuseum.com/main.htm The Coca Museum] (A private museum in [[La Paz, Bolivia]])
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| − | * [http://www.tni.org/drugscoca-docs/coca.htm Coca - Cocaine] website of the Transnational Institute (TNI)
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| − | * [http://www.tni.org/policybriefings/brief5.htm Coca, Cocaine and the International Conventions] Transnational Institute (TNI), Drug Policy Briefing 5, April 2003
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| − | * [http://www.tni.org/reports/drugs/debate13.htm Coca Yes, Cocaine No? Legal Options for the Coca Leaf] Transnational Institute (TNI), Drugs & Conflict Debate Paper 13, May 2006
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| − | * [http://historyofalcoholanddrugs.typepad.com/alcohol_and_drugs_history/coca_leaf/index.html Coca leaf news page] – [[Alcohol and Drugs History Society]]
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| − | ===Photos===
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| − | * [http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/COCA/COCA.html 27 original photos on coca growing in La Convención valley, Cuzco Province, Peru]
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| − | * [http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/indexGraphic.html#harvest Harvesting coca in Yungas de La Paz, Bolivia]
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| − | * [http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/indexGraphic.html#drying Drying coca in the Chapare, Bolivia]
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| − | ===Videos===
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| − | * [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/22/1323211&mode=thread&tid=25 Democracy Now Interview with Bolivian President Evo Morales, in which he discusses the coca leaf]
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| − | [[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
| + | {{stub}} |
| − | [[Category:Herbal and fungal stimulants]]
| + | [[Category:Categorize]] |
| − | [[Category:Malpighiales]]
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| − | [[Category:Quechua loanwords]] | |
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| − | {{Link FA|he}}
| + | <!-- in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions! --> |
