''Zanthoxylum coco'' (also known as ''Fagara coco'') is an evergreen tree of the family
Rutaceae, native to
Argentina and
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
where it grows in the wild, mostly in spiniferous forests of the low mountain ranges of the western
Chaco. It is characteristic of the hill forest of the
Sierras Pampeanas
The Sierras Pampeanas (also called Central Sierras or Pampas Sierras) (English: Pampas Mountains) is a geographical region of Argentina.
The Sierras Pampeanas are a chain of mountains that rise sharply from the surrounding pampa region of ...
.
Description
The coco, also cochucho or smelly sauco, is usually found either in isolated groups or standing alone, from a small to medium-sized tree, ranging from 6 to 8 metres in height. The foliage is abundant,
evergreen with
imparipinnate leaves that present paired spines presumably in the place of leaflets. Punctations, in pairs, on the leaflets are quite distinctive. Leaves have serrated margins and pinnate venation. Flowers have five
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s and are arranged in
paniculate
A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...
inflorescences. The fruit is spherically shaped,
dehiscent
Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...
; containing a shiny blackish seed.
The whole plant has a characteristic unpleasant smell, hence the alternative name "smelly sauco".
Biochemistry
Even though unused in the general botanical pharmacopeia, ''Zanthoxylum coco'' tissues are very rich in
alkaloids. γ-
Fagarine,
N-methylisocorydine,
skimminianine,
α-fagarine,
fagarine-2,
magnoflorine,
nitidine
Nitidine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid found in species of the genus ''Zanthoxylum '', notably in ''Zanthoxylum nitidum
''Zanthoxylum nitidum'', commonly known as shiny-leaf prickly-ash, tez-mui (in Assamese) or liang mian zhen (in China) ...
,
chelerythrine,
berberine
Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids found in such plants as ''Berberis vulgaris'' (barberry), ''Berberis aristata'' (tree turmeric), ''Mahonia aquifolium'' (Oregon grape), ''Hydra ...
,
palmatine
Palmatine is a protoberberine alkaloid found in several plants including ''Phellodendron amurense'', ''Coptis Chinensis'' (Rhizoma coptidis, chinese goldthread) and '' Corydalis yanhusuo'', ''Tinospora cordifolia'' (gurjo, heart-leaved moonseed), ...
and
candicine have been isolated from the foliage and wood.
[Boelcke, O.: (1989) Plantas vasculares de la Argentina - Bs.As., Ed. H. Sur, 2da. reimpresión, 171 - 369 pp.]
Taxon synonym usage
The ''coco'' belongs to the genus ''
Zanthoxylum''. However, most local scientific articles use ''Fagara'' as the genus name.
References
* Hieronymus, G.: (1882), Plantae Diaphoricae Florae Argentinae - Bs. A.s, Ed. Kraft, 53 - 404 pp.
* DomÃnguez, J. A.: (1928), Contribuciones a la Materia Médica Argentina, Bs. As., Ed. Peuser, 95 - 433 pp.
* Stucker, G.V.: (1930), Contribución al estudio del Fagara coco, Congreso Internacional de BiologÃa, Montevideo, Oct. 1930.
* Fernández Rua, R.: (1933), El alcaloide de la corteza del Fagara coco: la fagaridina, Córdoba, folleto - 12 pp. y tablas.
* Boelcke, O.: (1989) Plantas vasculares de la Argentina - Bs.As., Ed. H. Sur, 2da. reimpresión, 171 - 369 pp.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3339238
coco
Trees of Argentina
Trees of Bolivia
Gran Chaco