Erythroxylaceae (the coca family) is a family of
flowering trees and shrubs consisting of 4
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
and 271
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
.
The four genera are ''
Aneulophus
''Aneulophus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Erythroxylaceae.
Its native range is Western Central Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic real ...
''
Benth., ''
Erythroxylum
''Erythroxylum'' (''Erythroxylon'') is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Erythroxylaceae. Many of the approximately 200 species contain the substance cocaine,Bieri S, Brachet A, Veuthey J, Christen P. Cocaine distribution in wil ...
''
P.Browne, ''
Nectaropetalum
''Nectaropetalum'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Erythroxylaceae
Erythroxylaceae (the coca family) is a family of flowering trees and shrubs consisting of 4 genera and 271 species. The four genera are '' Aneulophus'' B ...
''
Engl., and ''
Pinacopodium
''Pinacopodium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Erythroxylaceae.
Its native range is Western Central Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic rea ...
''
Exell & Mendonça. The best-known species are the
coca
Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine.
The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...
plants, including the species ''
Erythroxylum coca
''Erythroxylum coca'' is one of two species of cultivated coca.
Description
The coca plant resembles a blackthorn bush, and grows to a height of . The branches are straight, and the leaves, which have a green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, and tap ...
'', the source of the substance
coca
Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine.
The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...
.
References
Malpighiales families
{{Malpighiales-stub