Cinchona officinalis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cinchona officinalis Quinine Bark | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cinchonoideae |
| Tribe: | Cinchoneae |
| Genus: | Cinchona |
| Species: | C. officinalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cinchona officinalis L. | |
Cinchona officinalis, the Quinine Bark tree Spanish: Qinchona Qinchona ยท Portuguese: Quinquina, is a South American tree, native to Amazon Rainforest plant community.
Uses
Cinchona officinalis is a medicinal plant, one of several Cinchona species used for the production of quinine, which is an anti-fever agent. It is especially useful in the prevention and treatment of malaria. Cinchona calisaya is the tree most cultivated for quinine production.
There are a number of other alkaloids that are extracted from this tree. They include cinchonine, cinchonidine and quinidine
See also
- List of plants of Amazon Rainforest vegetation of Brazil
References
External links
Media related to Cinchona officinalis at Wikimedia Commons
- Tropical Plants Database: Cinchona officinalis
- Cinchona officinalis at the Encyclopedia of Life
Data related to Cinchona officinalis at Wikispecies
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