Category:Coca

Co"ca, n. Etym: [Sp., fr. native name.]

Defn: The dried leaf of a South American shrub (Erythroxylon Coca). In med., called Erythroxylon.

Note: Coca leaves resemble tea leaves in size, shape, and odor, and are chewed (with an alkali) by natives of Peru and Bolivia to impart vigor in prolonged exertion, or to sustain strength in absence of food. Mexican coca, an American herb (Richardsonia scabra), yielding a nutritious fodder. Its roots are used as a substitute for ipecacuanha.

Coca (Erythroxylum coca) is a plant native to western South America and best known because of its alkaloids, which include cocaine. The plant grows 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) tall. De-cocainized extract of coca leaf is reportedly used in Coca-Cola and in the production of other cosmetics and foods.