Cinchona pubescens

''Cinchona pubescens'', also known as red cinchona and quina (Kina) ( ''Cascarilla, cinchona''; ''quina-do-amazonas, quineira''), is native to Central and South America. It is known as a medicinal plant for its bark's high quinine content- and has similar uses to ''Cinchona officinalis'' in the production of quinine, most famously used for treatment of malaria.

Description

''C. pubescens'' varies from small to large in size, growing to 10 meters in height (33 ft). When cut, the bark tends to turn red. Leaves are elliptical to oblate and thin. The leaves have pubescent teeth that turn red when they are older, hence its nickname the red quinine tree. Its flowers form in large panicles. They are pink and fragrant, while in the Galapagos they are light pink.

Ecology

''C. pubescens'' has the widest distribution of all ''Cinchona'' species, with the native range spanning Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In Ecuador it is distributed within an altitude from . It also grows well in volcanic soil with high nutrient levels.

''C. pubescens'' is a resilient species that is able to recover from even extreme damage. If the tree is felled but the stump is left, it can grow back new stalks. If the bark is removed and the xylem is exposed to the elements, the tree will grow the bark back. The tree can even grow back if roots that are left in the ground are larger than 2 cm in diameter.

It reproduces rapidly and spreads its seeds via wind. It reaches maturity and begins seeding in 4 years. Growing at a rate of 1–2 m per year, it quickly reaches a tall height where it can shade out the rest of the native plants. Adult trees grow much slower than juveniles.

Invasive species

It has become an invasive species where planted outside of its native range, especially on tropical climate islands such as the Galapagos, Hawaii, and Tahiti. In the Galapagos it has become a dominant species in the formerly shrub dominated Miconia and Fern- Sedge zones on Santa Cruz Island. It has been subject to control in the Galapagos National Park to reduce its impacts using a variety of methods. However, controlling it over its total range on Santa Cruz island would cost US$1.65 million according to research done through the Charles Darwin Foundation.

According to Jäger ''et al.'' 2007, the species richness on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands has declined by 33% in the Miconia Zone and 10% in the Fern-Sedge Zone since the introduction ''C. pubescens''. It is also invasive in Hawaii, on Maui and the Big Island ''C. pubescens'' was first introduced to these to be cultivated for quinine harvesting.

Control Strategies

There are currently two strategies for removal of ''C. pubescens''. They include a physical method and a chemical method. The physical method involves manually felling adult trees and fully removing the stumps. Samplings must be pulled out of the soil. The chemical method uses herbicides diluted in water and sprayed on hack marks on the bark. Buddenhagen ''et al.'' tried this at the Galapagos Island National Park using a mixture of picloram and metsulfuron. This technique has been recommended to be performed in Tahiti and Hawaii since it is an invasive there as well.

Buddenhagen ''et al.'' 2004 analyzed data using six different herbicide methods from 1999 to 2002 with a different trial each year: picloram salt, triclopyr ester, triclopyr salt, glyphosate, diesel fuel, and picloram and metsulfuron. The herbicide was sprayed onto the trees where they were hacked with machetes. In the first trial, triclopyr ester could control ''C. pubescens'' with 77% chance of the trees dying. In the second trial, a picloram and metsulfuron solution was 100% successful in concentrations greater than 4% solution. In the third trial, picloram- metsulfuron solution of 10% concentrations or higher was successful in eradicating the tree.(Buddenhagen et al. 2004)

References

Sources

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Buddenhagen, C., and P. Yánez. 2005. The cost of quinine ''Cinchona pubescens'' control on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Galapagos Research 63:32-36.Buddenhagen, C. E., J. L. Rentería, M. Gardener, S. R. Wilkinson, M. Soria, P. Yánez, A. Tye, and R. Valle. 2004. The Control of a Highly Invasive Tree ''Cinchona pubescens'' in Galapagos. Weed Technology 18:1194-1202.
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070502144856/http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/library/pubs/gal-research Tuoc, L. T. 1983. Some thoughts on the control of introduced plants. Noticias de Galapagos 37:25-26.">(HEAR)">Starr, F., Starr, K., and Loope, L. 2003. ''Cinchona pubescens''. Report for the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk projec
(HEAR)

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q164574

Cinchona, pubescens

Flora of Costa Rica

Flora of Panama
Flora of Colombia
Flora of Venezuela
Flora of Ecuador
Flora of Bolivia
Medicinal plants of Central America
Quinine
Medicinal plants of South America
Trees of Peru
Taxa named by Martin Vahl
Plants described in 1790