Chinabark
Cinchona calisaya Wedd.
Cinchona calisaya is a shrub or tree in the Rubiaceae family, known for its high quinine content. Native to the eastern Andean slopes in Peru and Bolivia, it grows at elevations between 200 and 3,300 meters. The species was cultivated in the Dutch East Indies from the 1860s to support the global quinine trade.
Description
Cinchona calisaya, commonly known as Chinabark, is a member of the Rubiaceae family. It is found in the forests of the eastern Andes in Peru and Bolivia, thriving at elevations from 200 to 3,300 meters. The plant is notable for its high concentration of quinine, an important antimalarial alkaloid. Its cultivation began in the Dutch East Indies in the 1860s to meet global demand for quinine. The species has been reported in several regions including India, Taiwan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Caroline Islands, Guatemala, the Gulf of Guinea Islands, Zaïre, and Manizales.
Other common names
ledgerbarkquinineyellow cinchonaChinabarkyellowbark
Distribution
IN · Global · TW · the Democratic Republic of the Congo · Bolivia · Caroline Is. · Guatemala · Gulf of Guinea Is. · Peru · Zaïre · Manizales
Synonyms
Quinquina calisayaQuinquina carabayensisQuinquina ledgerianaQuinquina carabayensis var. villosaCinchona amygdalifoliaCinchona australisCinchona calisaya var. bolivianaCinchona calisaya var. ledgerianaCinchona calisaya var. microcarpaCinchona carabayensisCinchona carabayensis var. lanceolataCinchona delondrianaCinchona euneuraCinchona forbesianaCinchona gammianaCinchona gironensisCinchona hasskarlianaCinchona ledgerianaCinchona pahudianaCinchona peruvianaCinchona peruviana var. veraCinchona scrobiculata var. delondrianaCinchona thwaitesiiCinchona weddellianaCinchona weddelliana var. angustifoliaCinchona weddelliana var. multiscrobiculataCinchona weddelliana var. rubrifoliaCinchona weddelliana var. rubrivenataCinchona calisaya var. oblongifoliaCinchona calisaya var. josephiana
