Name: Coca bush, or coca
drug plant!
Cocaine – Erythroxylaceae.
Pharmacy name: coca leaves – Cocae folium (formerly: Folia Cocae).
Botanical description. Evergreen shrub with alternate leaves, small whitish flowers and red drupes. There are over 200 different varieties. Homeland coca bush – tropical America; currently cultivated in America, Africa, India and Java. Active ingredients: alkaloids (cocaine and related substances).
Application. Due to the psychotropic properties of the raw material (addictive effect), coca is no longer used in medical practice. The chewing of leaves is still common among Indian tribes.