Thank you for showing this narcotic plant. It is believed that 'Coca' plant has made more addicts than any other single species in the world. The leaves contain Cocaine, tropacocaine, cinnamylcocaine, truxillines and benzoylecgonine alkaloids which are narcotic materials and strongly habit forming. Interestingly, 'Cola' leaves are also used in flavourings of many soft drinks BUT ONLY AFTER THESE ARE DEALKALOIDISED (alkaloids removed). DSRawat Pantnagar
On Friday, February 28, 2014 10:36:09 AM UTC+5:30, Sukla Chanda wrote: > > > *Erythroxylum coca Lam. (Erythroxylaceae)* > > It is an exotic (to India), cultivated coca plant native to western South > America. Shrub, 2-3 m high, the branches are straight, and the leaves, > which have a green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, and taper 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. The flowers are > small, and disposed in clusters on short stalks; the corolla is composed of > five yellowish-white petals; anther heart-shaped; pistil consists of three > carpels united to form a three-chambered ovary. The flowers mature into red > berries. > > > > > Thanks, > Sukla > ------------------------------------------------ > Sukla Chanda, PhD > Science & Education, > The Field Museum, Chicago IL. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
