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Amazonian coca
Scientific Name: Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu
Family: Erythroxylaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu (Amazonian Coca)
Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu, commonly known as Amazonian coca, is a variety of coca cultivated in the lowland Amazon Basin in Peru and Colombia.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu
- Common Name: Amazonian coca
- Family: Erythroxylaceae
- Synonyms: Erythroxylum coca ipadu, Erythroxylum coca Lam. var. ipadu Plowman
Distribution and Habitat
- Amazonian coca is cultivated in the lowland Amazon Basin, specifically in Peru and Colombia.
- It is also found in the tri-border region of the Amazon, where Colombia, Brazil, and Peru meet.
Morphological Characteristics
- Erythroxylum coca bushes typically grow between 10 to 16 meters in height and have very long and thin branches.
- Amazonian coca differs from typical Andean coca in its morphology.
Ecological Role
- The cultivation and trafficking of coca pose understudied threats to the conservation of the Amazon rainforest.
Uses
- Coca tea is widely used, even outside the Andean Amazon region, and has an established use spread among all social classes.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Many Amazonian Indians have shifted the status of the coca plant in their house gardens.