   coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family erythroxylaceae, native to western south america. the plant is grown as a cash crop in argentina, bolivia, colombia, and peru, even in areas where its cultivation is unlawful. it also plays a role in many traditional andean cultures as well as the sierra nevada de santa marta (see traditional uses). coca is known throughout the world for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. the alkaloid content of coca leaves is low, between 0.25% and 0.77%. this means that chewing the leaves or drinking coca tea does not produce the intense high (euphoria, megalomania, depression) people experience with cocaine. coca leaf extract had been used in coca-cola products from 1885, with cocaine being completely eliminated from the products in or around 1929.transnational institute - coca myths extraction of cocaine from coca requires several solvents and a chemical process known as an acid/base extraction, which can fairly easily extract the alkaloids from the plant. ==description== the coca plant resembles a blackthorn bush, and grows to a height of 2-3 m (7â10 ft). the branches are straight, and the leaves are thin, opaque, oval, and taper at the extremities. a marked characteristic of the leaf is an areolated portion bounded by two longitudinal curved lines, one line on each side of the midrib, and more conspicuous on the under face of the leaf. the flowers are small, and disposed in clusters on short stalks; the corolla is composed of five yellowish-white petals, the anthers are heart-shaped, and the pistil consists of three carpels united to form a three-chambered ovary. the flowers mature into red berries. the leaves are sometimes eaten by the larvae of the moth eloria noyesi. ==species and evolution== there are two species of cultivated coca, each with two varieties: *erythroxylum coca **erythroxylum coca var. coca (bolivian or huÃ¡nuco coca) - well adapted to the ea
Coca Crops_originating_from_the_Americas Entheogens Flora_of_the_Andes Flora_of_western_South_America Herbal_and_fungal_stimulants Medicinal_plants_of_South_America Quechua_words_and_phrases