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Colombian coca

Scientific Name: Erythroxylum novogranatense

Family: Erythroxylaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Erythroxylon coca and the Coca Trade

This page provides information about Erythroxylon coca, more commonly known as the coca plant, particularly in the context of its cultivation and the cocaine trade in Colombia.

Scientific Name and Common Names

  • Scientific Name: Erythroxylon coca
  • Common Name: Coca plant

Distribution and Habitat

  • The coca plant grows almost exclusively in northern and western South America.
  • It is particularly prevalent in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.

Ecological Role

  • Deforestation in humid tropical forests is linked to coca production, especially in the Amazon region of Colombia.
  • The use of glyphosate as a herbicide in coca crop fumigation has raised concerns about long-term effects on the soil and people.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Cocaine is produced from the leaves of the coca plant.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Risks to Colombian amphibian fauna exist due to coca cultivation.

Further Information

  • The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Colombian Government jointly produce surveys of coca crops in Colombia.