There are two known species of coca: Erythroxylum coca (Lamarck, 1786) and Erythroxylum novogranatense (Morris, 1889), each with their respective varieties, characterized by the alkaloid cocaine contained in its leaves. The E.coca, recognized as coca ¨Huánuco ", was presumably the first one, and was cultivated on the slopes and in the tropical valleys of the eastern Andes (500 to 1.500 ms. above sea level), from the north of Peru to Bolivia. A variety called “ipadú” is indigenous to the Amazonian plains.
Thousands of years ago the E. novogranatense was the product of domestication and subsequent adaptation of E.coca in dry zones of the Marañón area, where it is still being cultivated today. |
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From there it would have been transferred to the western slopes of the Andes, along which it expanded throughout the Chaupi-Yunga zone, from the north of present Chile to present Colombia, spreading later to the Caribbean coast and probably to its islands, as well as to the Pacific coast of Central America. Such northern expansions were called “hayo” or “hay”, until the term coca, originating from Peru, was adopted by the Spanish. The distinct truxillense variety is called "Trujillo" coca, after the region where it is cultivated.
Due to its adaptability to diverse conditions, the species most widely cultivated in the 19th century was the novogranatense E., as often in tropical areas of the British Empire as in Java, where production ended up supplying the European market from the end of the last century to World War II .
Description – Shrub between 1m and 3m, with reddish bark on its branches, whose alternating leaves are elliptical or oval (2 to 10 cm of length x 1 to 4 cm wide); emerald green when tender and olive green in maturity, with a lighter underside. The flowers are small and white; the small fruits are (10 mm in average) oblong or oval, shiny, and orange-red to pomegranate-red when mature; the seed, surrounded by a resistant grooved endocarp, has a very short period of viability (1 to 2 weeks) and easily dies if left to dry out.
Propagation – Propagation is usually accomplished with seeds. The small fruits are soaked for a few days until the pulp comes away easily. The seed is washed, and it is planted in soil appropriate for planting, which has been properly moistened and which is in the shade to avoid drying out. It has a slow initial growth. When they reach a height of 20 to 30 cm, they can be transplanted, with a minimum separation of one meter. In the case of the E. coca, the stake system is also used.
Harvests –Two main harvests (April-May; November). The leaves are picked in a way that the branches are also tended. Traditionally, this was in the hands of the women. After that, the leaves are dried in the sun or using suitable ovens. Such treatment prevents leaf rot and can conserve the quality. Traditionally, coca is transported in baskets or wool bags.
From: http://www.lamolina.edu.pe/cocachasqui/Cochask09.htm |
