Cinchona pubescens (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Cinchona pubescens Vahl

Protologue: Skrivt. Naturh. Selsk. 1: 19 (1790).

Synonyms

• Cinchona cordifolia Mutis (1793),
• Cinchona succirubra Pav. ex Klotzsch (1858).

Vernacular names

• Red cinchona (En).

Distribution

Naturally distributed in Central and South America from Costa Rica to Bolivia; planted in many tropical countries, e.g. in India and Indonesia (Java).

Uses

The bitter constituents of the bark are a traditional anti-malarial of South-America, and have been used in the Malesian region since the 19th Century. The quinine is rather difficult to extract from the bark; also used as rootstock for C. officinalis .

Observations

• A small to medium-sized tree, up to 30 m tall.
• Leaves 24-50 cm × 17-40 cm, pubescent and without domatia beneath.
• Flowers with calyx pubescent outside and greenish-white corolla reddish towards lobes, 15-21 mm long.
• Fruit (20-)30-40 mm long, initially pubescent but glabrescent.

C. pubescens occurs naturally in mountainous regions at 1000-3700 m altitude. In Java, it is planted at (1000-)1250-1600(-2000) m.

Selected sources

97, 99, 202, 350, 501, 580, 900, 1167, 1178, 1277, 1640.

Authors

G. Staritsky, E. Huffnagel, A. Dharmadi & S.L. Dalimoenthe

See also Cinchona (PROSEA)