What Is the Cinchona Tree?
Scientists constantly are searching for more species of animals and plants. About 44,000 different plant species already have been identified and, like insect species, more plants are found and categorized on a daily basis. Many of these plants grow in the tropics, and a good number of them have medicinal qualities. One such plant is the cinchona. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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The cinchona plant is a large tree-like evergreen shrub of the Rubiaceae family. The plant is native to South America, specifically the region of Peru, but it is found in parts of Asia and Indonesia (particularly Java), as well. There are 40 species of cinchona that have been identified.
Appearance
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The cinchona typically stands at heights around 15 to 45 feet. Depending on the species, it can grow up to 100 feet when conditions are prime. This is one of the reasons why the cinchona is referred to as both a shrub and a tree. The leaves are flat, broad, rounded in shape and are between 4 to 18 inches in length. When the cinchona flowers, the blossoms may be white, pink or red and have silky hairs over them that give them a distinct appearance. The fruit are small capsules that contain many seeds.
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Pests
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The cinchona is susceptible to certain pests. Lepidoptera larvae, particularly the larvae of the engrailed moth and Commander Butterfly, feed on the leaves.
Uses
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The cinchona has many uses, but the most well known is the treatment of malaria, since the tree produces alkaloids like quinine. It also reduces fever and kills parasites, bacteria and fungus. To be used, the bark of the tree is stripped, dried and then ground into a powder.
History
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Jesuit priests collected cinchona bark for the treatment of malaria and fever in the 17th century. In fact, the bark of the tree still is called Jesuit bark. Despite the medicinal qualities of the plant, import of the cinchona bark (from which medicinal powder was made) was delayed in many parts of Europe because of the fact that it was Jesuits who collected the specimens. The powder eventually became accepted in 1820 when Pierre Pelletier and Joseph Caventou discovered the fever-reducing compound within it. By the 19th century, the use of cinchona powder was so widespread that the tree was threatened with extinction. The plant does well today, however, due to redistribution and importation, with 8,000 tons of bark harvested annually.
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