What is this coca plant? Coca bush: where growing, description

The history of the plant with its roots goes back to antiquity. For centuries, the coca leaves were chewed by the Incas and their successors. In addition, the leaves were brewed as a tea (mate-de-coca).

This article describes the representativebotan world, called coca bush. This is the ancient culture of the Incas, who considered it a sacred plant.

Places of growth

The birthplace of coca is the northwestern part of South America, but the plant is now artificially cultivated in India, Africa and on. Java.

With a fairly low content of oxygen, characteristic of mountains, the use of coca leaves helps maintain the activity of the body. Also this plant has both a religious and a symbolic meaning.

In the US, since the 1980s, because of the massive sale of drugs in the illegal market, unlimited cultivation of coca was banned.

Where does the coca grow? High in the mountains of the Andes, in Bolivia and Peru, grows a low shrub called a tree or a coca bush. The leaves of the plant are used to produce a potent stimulant, cocaine.

Since ancient times, it has been used as a stimulant in the inhabitants of Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. It's not for nothing that the cocaine bush is depicted on the arms of Bolivia and Peru. Today it is cultivated in the tropics of Asia and South America.

Description

This is a plant from the family of Cocaine. Its name comes from the Greek words "erythros" and "xylon", translated accordingly as "red" and "wood", and from the Peruvian name of the plant "Sosa". In the wild, it practically does not occur.

The height of this evergreen shrub reaches 1-3 (sometimes 5) meters. The coca bush has an oval shape and small flowers, located on short stems in small groups. Small inflorescences, located in the axils of leaves, yellow-white hue. And the fruits of his red, oblong - in the form of drupes. Annually one plant shrub gives about 5 kilograms of dry leaves.

Paired leaves have a wide elliptical shape.

The coca leaves used in medicine in total contain up to 1.5% of alkaloids, the main of which are cocaine groups (truksilin, cocaine, cyanamyl cocaine, tropacaine, etc.), as well as cuscoigrin and hygreen. In the total mass of cocaine alkaloids, the plant contains approximately 80%. It should be noted that the coca plantations are under the strict supervision of Interpol.

Coca leaves

After maturing, fresh fresh dried leaves straighten. They have a strong flavor, like tea. They taste pleasant and sharp. When they chew, the mouth begins to grow dull. The older, brownish hue leaves get a specific smell and become not sharp enough to taste.

Leaves contain a lot of nutrients, and alkaloids, changing mood.

Properties

A coca plant has the ability to cause a state of euphoria due to its unique properties, capable of suppressing sensitivity to any unpleasant sensations. But do not forget that with prolonged use of it can appear addictive, rapidly growing into cocaine addiction.

There is evidence that with a long chewing ordinary coca leaf can quench your thirst, suppress hunger and even relieve fatigue. The local application of the drug on the basis of the leaves of this shrub paralyzes the end of the nerves, causing a strong dulling of the senses of pain and touch. Also, when a plant enters the bloodstream, it strongly stimulates the nervous system.

Application

The main value that the coca plant possesses is the effect of good local anesthesia. This is due to the fact that its molecules, easily interacting with the neurons of the main nervous system, are excited, which contributes to the numbness of the body part.

It is not for nothing that this plant is the first local anesthetic that allowed to do much in modern surgery. Today, a variety of derivative medicines based on the coca bush are used.

The use of just leaves helps in the fight against headaches, with fear of heights, with apathy and migraine. Drinks from coca help prevent the occurrence of side effects even with asthma and malaria. Leaves are also useful for problems with digestion, as well as for rheumatism and arthritis.

A coca plant helps not only to improve health, it also helps to prolong life with proper application.

Cocaineized leaf extract is used to make a well-known Coca-Cola drink. In this case, cocaine is used to enhance the taste and as a tonic. In addition, the bush leaves are used in the preparation of alcohol, elixirs, soaps and creams.

Briefly about the peculiarities of growing

How is a coca plant grown? Seeds for planting in the soil are used only fresh, as long-term storage their germination is lost. The best substratum for today is vermiculite, which is an ideal tool for fast and friendly sprouting germs. Seeds are planted to a depth of not more than 3 centimeters. High humidity is not suitable for this plant.
After about 20 days, shoots appear that require good lighting. Average air humidity and drainage are welcome.

The coca plant is also good for additional fertilizer with special organic mixtures. The bush is quite resistant to the effects of insects and diseases, but it is very afraid of mealy worms. On its normal growth can also be adversely affected by sudden changes in air humidity and temperature, drought and strong watering.

It should be noted that it is not recommended to touch the young bush often, since it is very sensitive. The optimum age of the plant for seed production is 3-5 years.