Quinine
Cinchona sp.
Madder family (Rubiaceae)
The stories related to this plant are still being edited.
Themes
The cinchona tree is first mentioned in a religious chronicle published in Lima (Peru) in 1633. It is not known how its effectiveness against malarial fever was discovered. Malaria was absent from the Americas prior to European contact, and cinchona is not mentioned in the lists of remedies compiled by early chroniclers. Although the widely told story that the Condesa de Chinchón was cured by cinchona bark is now known to be untrue, Linnaeus still named the genus after her.
Several species of Cinchona are the natural source of quinine, which has long been used worldwide as a preventative for malaria. Quinine is found along with several other alkaloids in high concentrations in some species, particularly in the bark. These alkaloids give the plants their bitter taste.
Details
| Description: | Tree, shrub, 5–15 m in height. |
|---|---|
| Distributions: | Central america and south america, and cultivated as species and hybrids in tropical regions worldwide. |
| Habitat: | Growing on the eastern slopes of the andes. |
| Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic evergreen) |
| Hardiness: | 34 - 41 f (tender - cool or frost-free glasshouse) |
| Flower color: | White, pink, red |
| Notes on flowers: | The flowers are white, pink or red and produced in terminal panicles. |
| Notes on fruits: | The fruit is a small capsule containing numerous seeds. |