Erythroxylum novogranatense

[1]

Propagation

Germination

wss_germinating_2015

Vegetative

In-Vitro

Cultivation

E. novogranatense is a calcicole plant.[2]

[2] [3]

Harvest

The youngest, unrolled leaves of novogranatense contain the lowest dry weight and amount of total alkaloids. Older leaves have variable weights and alkaloids but are generally higher in both than the youngest leaves. However, concentration of alkaloids is generally unchanged with leaf age, so the effect is primarily driven by leaf weight.[3]

Sun drying and low-temperature air drying are suitable methods of preservation of novogranatense leaves. Attemps to preserve leaves in liquid media (e.g., formalin) resulted in significant losses of alkaloids.[4]

Yield

[2] [3]

Soilless

[5]

Soil

Fertilization

Optimal pH for novogranatense is 4.7-6.0. They are generally more tolerant to pH extremes than E. coca.[2]

[2]

Temperature

acock_effects_1996

Lighting

[6] acock_effects_1996

Pests

[7]

Ecology

[7]

Morphology

[8] [9] [10]

Roots

Stem

Leaves

Inflorescence

Seeds

Phytochemistry

[12] [13] [2] [14] [15] [16] [17] [11] [3]

Infraspecific Variation

Biosynthesis

[18] [13] [19]

Distribution

Timecourse

[16]

Improvement

Identification

The presence of cocaine is a positive identification method for either E. coca or E. novogranatense as no other member of the Erythroxylum genus produces cocaine in significant quantities.[11]

Leaf anatomy is more taxonomically useful than woods.[9]

The presence or absence of lateral lines along the midvein on the leaves of cultivated Erythroxylum is not useful for identification. Similarly, the leaf form and venation patterns are primarily the result of environment with much crossover between species and do not provide a definitive identification.[9]

Stomatal density is generally higher in E. coca than in E. novogranatense.[9]

Alkaloid distribution in leaves cannot be used as a chemotaxic method of identification.[3]

[20] [8] [21] [22] [10] casale_illicit_2016

Inheritance

[21]

Methods

In a study of hexane, chloroform, ethanol, and dilute sulfuric acid extraction, only ethanol produced quantitative extraction of cocaine and ecgonine alkaloids in cocas. Hexane did not fully extract the alkaloids while the other solvents produced artifacts of up to 20%.[3]

Contrary to popular belief, the high pH provided by coconsumption of alkalai carbonates and cocas does not contribute significantly to the extraction efficiency of cocaine alkaloids. It does, however, assist the liberation of the alkaloids as a free base, which can then be rapidly absorbed through mucous membranes. A small amount (<20%) is converted to pharmacologically less or inactive ecgonine derivatives at a higher pH, thus it is beneficial to keep the pH as low as possible while liberating the free base.[3]

estrada_biochemical_2017

History & Society

Novogranatense may have originated by long-term human cultivation and selection for flavor, palatibility, and drought resistance.[9]

Early (pre-1970s) studies of Erythroxylum were not thorough in their identification of individual species creating considerable confusion. A series of systematic botanical and historical studies of cocas by Plowman published in the late 1970s provides the basis for the modern taxonomy of E. coca and E. novogranatense. Specimen preservation and detailed microscopic and chemical analyses by Rury as part of a PhD thesis (unpublished) shortly thereafter further clarified the distinction.[9]

Likewise, some unusual compounds found in early phytochemical studies could be the result of artifacts from extraction solvent reactions. For example, ecgonidine methyl ester reportedly found in early studies was subsequently not found in ethanolic extracts of cocas. It is likely formed by the action of sulfuric acid on tropane alkaloids during acid extraction.[3]

From a taxonomic standpoint, commercial sources of cocas could be contaminated by the alkaloid-free lookalike species E. cataractarum and E. lineolatum.[9]

A well-known seller of Erythroxylum and other etheogenic plants and seeds going by the name “Dbotany”[23] was jailed in Indonesia in early August of 2022.[24][25] The purveyor had been in business for 20+ years prior to the arrest.[26] Emails with them say that they expect to be released around July 2026.[25] Another website popped up shortly thereafter, using the same name.[27] Online reports suggest this is an impersonator.[26] At the time of writing, the new website is down. Similarly, the Google drive hosted “Coca Growing Guide” written by DBotany is no longer available.

[28] [29] [25] [3] weil_coca_1978 grinspoon_coca_1981

Work Log

Bibliography

1. Plowman, Timothy, Amazonian Coca, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 195--225, March 1981. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(81)90054-4. Abstract
   A general overview of various aspects of Amazonian coca (Erythroxylum. coca var. ipadu) is presented. This plant is considered a distinct variety of coca which has been developed as a cultivated plant in the upper Amazon basin. It differs from typical Andean coca in morphological, physiological and chemical features as well as in the method of preparation and use by Amazonian tribes. The main topics here discussed are the history, distribution, botany, chemistry, origin, methods of preparation and use, and the effects of Amazonian coca.
2. Johnson, Emanuel L. and Foy, C. D., Biomass Accumulation and Alkaloid Content in Leaves of Erythroxylum Coca and Erythroxylum Novogranatense Var. Novogranatense Grown in Soil with Varying pH, Journal of Plant Physiology, vol. 149, no. 3, pp. 444--450, January 1996. doi: 10.1016/S0176-1617(96)80147-7. Abstract
   Erythroxylum coca var. coca Lam. (E. coca) and Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense (Morris) Hieron (E. novo, novogranatense) were grown in greenhouse pots of Monmouth sandy loam, over a pH range of 3.5 through 7.0, to determine patterns for biomass accumulation and the content of hygrine, tropinone, methyl ecgonine, cuscohygrine, tropacocaine, cocaine, cis- and trans-cinnamoylcocaine in their leaves. Optimal growth for E. coca occurred at pH 3.5, and for E. novo. novogranatense at pH 4.7 through 6.0. The pH extreme (sub-optimal biomass accumulation, above and below optimal pH) for E. coca was ≥6.5 and for E. novo, novogranatense ≤ 3.5 and ≥ 6.5. Hence, E. coca is tentatively termed a calcifuge (Al-tolerant, Fe-inefficient) while E. novo. novogranatense more nearly resembles a calcicole (Fe-efficient, Alsensitive). Increases in leaf alkaloid content observed at the pH extremes for E. coca and E. novo, novogranatense appeared to be caused by plant stress. E. novo. novogranatense was more tolerant to the high pH extreme than E. coca. Twenty-two months after transplanting, 55\% of E. coca plants grown at soil pH 7.0 died, and those that remained were chlorotic. In addition, among E. coca plants grown at soil pH 6.5, only 55 \% were alive at the third harvest. Cocaine concentration in E. coca was independent of leaf biomass. Leaves of E. coca grown in soil at pH 3.5 through 6.0 had higher concentrations of cocaine than those of E. novo. novogranatense. Conversely, leaves of E. novo. novogranatense contained a higher concentration of trans- and cis-cinnamoylcocaine and methyl ecgonine than those of E. coca. The least abundant alkaloid observed in E. coca and E. novo. novogranatense was tropinone which was low or commonly not detected. Of the eight alkaloids monitored in leaves of E. novo. novogranatense grown in soils at various pH levels, methyl ecgonine was the most abundant.
3. Rivier, Laurent, Analysis of Alkaloids in Leaves of Cultivated Erythroxylum and Characterization of Alkaline Substances Used during Coca Chewing, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 313--335, March 1981. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(81)90061-1. Abstract
   Several solvents were tested for the extraction of the alkaloids in Erythroxylum coca. The resulting crude extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Ethanol extraction was found to be the only quantitative method presenting no artifacts. It was established that cocaine and cis- and trans-cinnamoylcocaine were the endogenous alkaloids in E. coca leaves. From the several breakdown compounds arising during long-term extraction with H2SO4 or CHCl3, ecgonine methyl ester was the only alkaloid fully identified; ecgonidine methyl ester was tentatively identified on the basis of its mass spectrum fragmentation pattern. Quantification by mass fragmentography of the three endogenous compounds was performed using a stable-isotope dilution technique on individual leaves of single branches of E. coca, E. novogranatense and E. novogranatense var. truxillense. The relative amounts of these alkaloids changed with leaf age as well as between species and varieties. The variation in alkaloid levels between individual leaves was too great to allow the use of the ratio between cocaine and the cinnamoylcocaine levels as a taxonomic marker. The initial pH value of 17 different alkaline substances traditionally used during coca leaf chewing was measured after dissolution in H2O; values ranged between 10.1 and 12.8. Buffer capacity was determined by titration with HCl. Three types of curve shapes were obtained which could correspond to NaOH, Na2CO3 and NaHCO3 titration curves. One sample of alkaline material had no buffer capacity at all. The recovery and breakdown of the cocaine contained in E. coca leaf powder was monitored for one hour at various pHs at 37°C. The levels of cocaine and benzoylecgonine did not change by more than 17\% at any of the pHs tested (6.0, 9.0 and 11.5). It was concluded that the alkaline substances are mainly responsible for the transformation of the alkaloids to free bases and not for a major hydrolysis of cocaine.
4. Balick, Michael J. and Rivier, Laurent and Plowman, Timothy, The Effects of Field Preservation on Alkaloid Content of Fresh Coca Leaves (Erythroxylum Spp.), Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 287--291, November 1982. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(82)90051-4. Abstract
   In order to test the effects of commonly used preservation agents on the alkaloid content of herbarium specimens, fresh leaves of Erythroxylum coca, E. novogranantense, and E. novogranatense var. truxillense were airor heat-dried or treated with six different liquid preservatives. The leaves were then extracted and analyzed quantitatively for cocaine content. Leaves which were soaked in preservatives showed appreciable pre-extraction of cocaine and probably of other alkaloids. The results compare well with a similar experiment conducted on flavonoid content of the leaves of a palm Jessenia bataua. If portions of herbarium specimens are to be useful for phytochemical screening using microtechniques, at least part of the collection must be air- or heat-dried to retain the chemical constituents.
5. {Botany-101}, 75\% Ultisol Substrate, r/Coca101, May 2024. url: www.reddit.com/r/Coca101/comments/1cl4xjp/75_ultisol_substrate/.
6. Lydon, John and Casale, John F. and Kong, Hyesuk and Sullivan, Joseph H. and Daughtry, Craig S. T. and Bailey, Bryan, The Effects of Ambient Solar UV Radiation on Alkaloid Production by Erythroxylum Novogranatense Var. Novogranatense†, Photochemistry and Photobiology, vol. 85, no. 5, pp. 1156--1161, 2009. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2009.00562.x. Abstract
   Truxillines are alkaloids produced by Erythroxylum species and are thought to be derived from the UV-driven dimerization of cinnamoylcocaines. This study was conducted to determine the effects of ambient UV radiation on the production of truxillines in Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense. Field plants were grown under shelters covered with plastic filters that were transparent to UV radiation, filtered UV-B, or both filtered UV-B and UV-A radiation. The treatments had no significant effect on plant biomass or specific leaf weight. Absorption values in the UV-C and UV-A region of acidified-methanol leaf extracts were higher for plants exposed to UV radiation compared to the no UV radiation treatment. There was a trend in decreasing levels of trans-cinnamoylcocaine and a statistically significant decrease in levels of cis-cinnamoylcocaine in the leaves of plants exposed to UV radiation compared to the no UV radiation treatment. Truxilline levels increased in leaves from plants exposed to UV radiation compared to the no UV radiation treatment. Most significantly, the ratio of truxillines to total cinnamoylcocaines in the leaves was affected by UV, increasing with increased UV exposure. The results support the hypothesis that UV radiation is involved in the formation of truxillines from cinnamoylcocaines.
7. Plowman, Timothy and Weil, Andrew T., Coca Pests and Pesticides, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 263--278, October 1979. doi: 10.1016/S0378-8741(79)80015-X. Abstract
   The major pests of coca are listed and discussed along with methods used to control them in the past and present. Results of analyses for pesticide residues in samples of commercial Peruvian coca leaves are presented. Levels of pesticides found in these samples are too low to be considered a medical risk to coca chewers.
8. Katib, Somdet and Rungsihirunrat, Kanchana, Macroscopic-Microscopic Characteristics and AFLP Fingerprint for Identification of Erythroxylum Novogranatense, E. Cambodianum and E. Cuneatum Endemic to Thailand, undefined, 2020. url: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Macroscopic-microscopic-characteristics-and-AFLP-of-Katib-Rungsihirunrat/999d08359dd2aea358194839c70c0506d1de01a8. Abstract
   The combination of morphological characteristics, microscopic investigation and AFLP ingerprinting can be used to identify plant species and determine the genetic relationship among three Erythroxylum species. Erythroxylum novogranatense (Morris) Hieron, E. cambodianum Pierre and E. cuneatum (Miq.) Kurz in family Erythroxylaceae was traditionally used as an antipyretic, general stimulant and gastrointestinal diseases. Due to their morphological similarity, the correct identi ication was necessary for the quality control in herbal medicine. E. novogranatense (Morris) Hieron, E. cambodianum Pierre and E. cuneatum (Miq.) Macroscopic andmicroscopic characteristics evaluated Kurz endemic to Thailand according to WHO standard guideline and ampli ied fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) ingerprint. Morphological characters of E. novogranatense, E. cambodianum and E. cuneatum were similar in their lower, fruit and seed but different in stem and leaf. Microscopic characteristics from these three species, including constant leaf numbers, showed individual values. The stomata were classi ied as paracytic type. The midrib transverse section showed distinct characters of the epidermis, palisade cell, stomata, spongy cell, parenchyma, xylem vessel, phloem tissue and collenchyma. AFLP ingerprint showed highly polymorphisms 97.42\% with the number of bands (349 bands) ranging between 50-750 bands. Primer E+ACG/M+CTT had the highest number of AFLP band (91 bands). The dendrogram generated from UPGMA could separate these three species. In summary, the combination of morphological characteristics, microscopic investigation and AFLP ingerprinting can be used to identify plant species and determine the genetic relationship among three Erythroxylum species.
9. Rury, Phillip M., Systematic Anatomy of Erythroxylum P. Browne: Practical and Evolutionary Implications for the Cultivated Cocas, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 229--263, March 1981. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(81)90056-8. Abstract
   Preliminary study of the pantropical Erythroxylaceae indicates that anatomical features can provide valuable insight into the generic, infra-generic and specific affinities of unidentified specimens. Combinations of qualitative and quantitative anatomical data are most reliable when considered in conjunction with relevant ecological and plant morphological data. Extreme caution is advised in such taxonomic applications due to the intergrading patterns of anatomical variation exhibited within the family. Careful consideration must be given to the potential influence on anatomy of factors such as plant age, habit, leaf morphology and environmental conditions. Although a few species of Erythroxylum are identifiable solely on the basis of unique wood anatomical features, the majority of species can be identified only through a combination of morphological and vegetative anatomical features. Closely related species and species of similar habitats are often very similar in their wood and leaf structure. Anatomical differences are more subtle among the cultivated cocas and their closest neotropical relatives than among most taxa of Erythroxylaceae. A typological concept of foliar venation patterns among the cultivated cocas permits the varietal identification of isolated coca leaves. Several neotropical relatives of the cultivated cocas represent potential adulterants in commercial samples of coca leaf as a result of their striking similarity to genuine coca in leaf form, venation and anatomy. Due to the broad and overlapping range of leaf structural variation exhibited among the cultivated cocas and their nearest relatives, identifications of isolated leaves or leaf fragments are ill-advised in the absence of relevant ecological data. Patterns of wood and leaf anatomical variation within the Erythroxylaceae are most readily explicable as the result of evolutionary diversification in plant habit, leaf size, form and relative duration. Significant correlations among wood and leaf structure reveal various “adaptive strategies” among species of Erythroxylaceae. Redundant patterns of structural evolution, evident among the different species and genera of Erythroxylaceae, help to elucidate the probable evolutionary origins of the cultivated cocas. Comparative anatomical data support the hypothesis that Bolivian coca (E. coca) represents the most primitive of the cultivated cocas. The Colombian and Trujillo varieties of coca (E. novogranatense) appear to have been derived from a Bolivian-like ancestral coca as a result of long-term cultivation, geographic isolation and human selection for increased flavor, palatability and drought resistance.
10. Plowman, Timothy, Botanical Perspectives on Coca, Journal of Psychedelic Drugs, vol. 11, no. 1-2, pp. 103--117, January 1979. doi: 10.1080/02791072.1979.10472095.
11. Holmstedt, Bo and Jäätmaa, Eva and Leander, Kurt and Plowman, Timothy, Determination of Cocaine in Some South American Species of Erythroxylum Using Mass Fragmentography, Phytochemistry, vol. 16, no. 11, pp. 1753--1755, January 1977. doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(71)85082-3. Abstract
    Thirteen South American species of Erythroxylum have been analyzed for their cocaine content. Cocaine was found only in E. coca Lam., E. novogranatense (Morris) Hieron. and E. novogranatense var. truxillense (Rusby) Machado. The amount of cocaine was determined by mass fragmentography using deuterium labelled cocaine as internal standard
12. Gamarra, Vidal and Fuertes, César and Chávez, Nadia and Contreras, Dennis and Goya, Eri and Huamantumba, Kelly and Retuerto, Fernando and Ruiz Pacco, Gustavo, Metabolitos en las hojas de Erythroxylum coca Lam y Erithroxylum novogranatense (Morris) Hieron y evaluacón de sus propiedades biológicas mediante bioensayos, Rev. peru. med. integr, pp. 828--834, 2017. url: http://rpmi.pe/ojs/index.php/RPMI/article/view/70/77.
13. Duke, Stephen O. and Vaughn, Kevin C., Histochemical and Immunocytochemical Localization of Tropane Alkaloids in Erythroxylum Coca Var. Coca and E. Novogranatense Var. Novogranatense, International Journal of Plant Sciences, vol. 159, no. 3, pp. 492--503, May 1998. doi: 10.1086/297566. Abstract
    The tropane alkaloids of Erythroxylum coca var. coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense were localized using histochemical, cytochemical, and immunocytochemical probes. At the tissue level, these alkaloids were localized in leaves, stems, and fruits with Dragendorff's reagent. Alkaloids were found in the mesophyll, including palisade, spongy, and vascular parenchyma cell layers, and in some cells of the collenchyma. No alkaloids were detected in the epidermis of either Erythroxylum species. Alkaloids were also detected in the endosperm and embryos of orange and mature red fruits but not in tissues of immature green fruits. Quantitative HPLC reveals that embryos had 2.5-5 times more cocaine (w/w\%) than endosperms, but 40 times less than leaves. In contrast to leaves, cocaine was a minor alkaloid present in fruits. Dragendorff's reagent was used to develop thin-layer chromatography plates and specifically stained the alkaloids extracted from leaves of both species. Complexing of alkaloids with tannins resulted in aggregates in the vacuole of E. coca leaf cells as visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Immunocytochemical localization, using anticocaine polyclonal antibodies on leaf tissues, proved that these compounds are localized in vacuoles of both photosynthetic and vascular parenchyma, as demonstrated by the use of Dragendorff's reagent. The alkaloids were associated with intravacuolar globules and appear to be aggregates with a core formed by phenolic compounds and a periphery enriched in alkaloids. The vacuolar localization of the cocaine alkaloids indicate that they may be complexed with phenols in vivo, thereby rendering them relatively immobile. The implications of the cellular and tissue localization of tropane alkaloids in Erythroxylum are discussed.
14. Moore, J. M. and Hays, P. A. and Cooper, D. A. and Casale, J. F. and Lydon, J., 1-Hydroxytropacocaine: An Abundant Alkaloid of Erythroxylum Novogranatense Var. Novogranatense and Var. Truxillense, Phytochemistry, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 357--360, May 1994. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97075-4. Abstract
    A new alkaloid, 1-hydroxytropacocaine, was isolated from leaves of greenhouse-cultivated Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense and identified. Quantitative levels of this alkaloid in dry leaf were similar to those for cocaine, i.e. 0.3–0.5\% w/w. 1-Hydroxytropacocaine was also detected at 0.04–0.07\% w/w (relative to dry coca leaf) in greenhouse-cultivated Erythroxylum novogranatense var. truxillense and at similar levels in Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense, grown at a tropical site other than in South America. The presence of 1-hydroxytropacocaine was {$<$}0.01\% w/w (relative to dry coca leaf) in suspected Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense and Erythroxylum coca var. coca, field-cultivated in Colombia and Bolivia, respectively.
15. Novák, M. and Salemink, C. A. and Khan, I., Biological Activity of the Alkaloids of Erythroxylum Coca and Erythroxylum Novogranatense, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 261--274, May 1984. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(84)90015-1. Abstract
    The cultivated Erythroxylum varieties E. coca var. coca, E. coca var. ipadu, E. novogranatense var. novogranatense and E. novogranatense var. truxillense contain 18 alkaloids, identified so far, belonging to the tropanes, pyrrolidines and pyridines, with cocaine as the main alkaloid. The biological activity of the following alkaloids has been reported in the literature: cocaine, cinnamoylcocaine, benzoylecgonine, methylecgonine, pseudotropine, benzoyltropine, tropacocaine, α- and β-truxilline, hygrine, cuscohygrine and nicotine. The biological activity of cocaine and nicotine is not reviewed here, because it is discussed elsewhere in the literature. Hardly anything is known about the biological activity of the other alkaloids present in the four varieties mentioned. The biosynthesis of the coca alkaloids has been outlined.
16. {de Jong}, A. W. K., The Change in the Composition of the Cocaines in Java Coca Leaves during Their Growth. The Acids of the Esters of l-nor-Ecgonine from Coca Leaves, Recueil des Travaux Chimiques des Pays-Bas, vol. 67, no. 6, pp. 484--488, 1948. doi: 10.1002/recl.19480670609. Abstract
    The contradiction noted previously, that the quantity of the cocaines in the leaves on a branch remains almost constant for 8 successive leaves with the exception of that of the youngest leaf, while the composition of the cocaines in the leaves alters during their growth, - young leaves contain more cinnamylcocaines than cocaine and old leaves more cocaine than cinnamylcocaines, - is explained as being caused by the continuous formation of fresh cocaines in the leaves, and the continuous decomposition of an almost equal quantity of cocaines containing less cocaine and more cinnamylcocaines than the percentages in the fresh formed cocaines. Reasons for the quicker decomposition of the cinnamylcocaines in the leaves are indicated. In agreement with this explanation it is noted, that the acids of the esters of l-nor-ecgonine consist for the main part of formic acid, benzoic acid being not present. The way in which l-nor-formylecgonine can be formed in the leaves from the cinnamylcocaines is indicated.
17. Aynilian, G. H. and Duke, J. A. and Gentner, W. A. and Farnsworth, N. R., Cocaine Content of Erythroxylum Species, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 63, no. 12, pp. 1938--1939, December 1974. doi: 10.1002/jps.2600631223. Abstract
    Concentrations of cocaine ranging from 0.00008 to 0.00882\% were found in herbarium specimens of seven of eight species of the genus Erythroxylum that were examined by GLC. A sample of E. coca which was at least 44 years old contained 0.03\% cocaine.
18. Estrada, Olga P., Biochemical Studies in the Elucidation of Genes Involved in Tropane Alkaloid Production in Erythroxylum Coca and Erythroxylum Novogranatense, May 2017. url: https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/handle/2346/72666. Abstract
    Natural products are vastly used in the modern pharmacopoeia. Among the most abundant natural products in medicine, there are tropane and granatane alkaloids. Efforts in the investigation of tropane and granatane biosynthesis are now contributing to the metabolic engineering sciences. Here, we present a portion of the most fundamental research in tropane alkaloid-producing transcriptomics with the use of qPCR techniques along with enzyme characterization experiments. In addition, a brief study on the enzyme responsible for the formation of methyl salicylate in Erythroxylum species is presented.
19. De Luca, Vincenzo, Understanding How Plants Produce Cocaine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. e2218838120, January 2023. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2218838120.
20. White, Dawson M. and Meinhardt, Lyndel and Bailey, Bryan and Pirro, Stacy, The Complete Genome Sequences of Erythroxylum Coca and Erythroxylum Novogranatense, no. 11:457, April 2022. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.108549.1. Abstract
    The flowering plant genus Erythroxylum contains approximately 280 species, including the economically and socially consequential crops called coca. We present the genome sequences of Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense , two cultigens produced for medicinal and quotidian use in the Andes and Amazon regions of South America, as well as the international cocaine industry. Sequencing was performed on an Illumina X-Ten platform, and reads were assembled by a de novo method followed by finishing via comparison with several species from the same genus. The BioProject, raw and assembled data can be accessed in GenBank for E. coca (PRJNA676123; JAJMLV000000000) and E. novogranatense (PRJNA675212; JAJKBF000000000)
21. Sáenz, Jose and Cortés, Andrés J and {Calixto-Botía}, Iván F and Madriñán, Santiago and Sanchez, Juan A, Efectos del proceso de domesticación en la especiación y flujo genético de Erythroxylum coca y E. novogranatense en Colombia, pp. 16, 2018. Abstract
    Cocaine-bearing species, Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense, have been under a process of domestication and hybridization occurred in Colombian neotropical ecosystems, where illicit extraction and processing comprise a major sociopolitical issue. Here, we report the generation of a high quality genome-wide nextRAD-derived DNA polymorphism data set of Erythrosylum spp. by next generation sequencing. Population genomic analyses were performed on 42 accessions from medium-altitude Andean mountain habitats. Three strong genepools were clustered exhibiting population sub-structure pointing to likely local domestication processes, which shows a signature of hybridization within-species south in the country. This Erythroxylum spp. genepools provides a valuable resource for studying genetic variation in coca plant and tropane-like producers and promises to facilitate the discovery of genes that could be useful for coca control and bioprospection
22. Engler, Adolf, Botanische Jahrbücher Fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte Und Pflanzengeographie, vol. 20, pp. 1--918, 1895. url: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/678.
23. Dbotany Coca Seeds - Dbotany, September 2022. url: https://web.archive.org/web/20220926010008/http://www.dbotany.com/.
24. Afifa, Laila, Police Search Coca Plant at Bogor Botanical Garden after Drug Suspect's Confession, Tempo, August 2022. url: https://en.tempo.co/read/1621032/police-search-coca-plant-at-bogor-botanical-garden-after-drug-suspects-confession. Abstract
    Police search the Bogor Botanical Garden for suspected coca plants after a drug suspect claims to have found one in the garden.
25. StrengthPotential, Regards Form a Friend 👏, r/Coca101, October 2024. url: www.reddit.com/r/Coca101/comments/1fypnka/regards_form_a_friend/.
26. {Botany-101}, CAUTION!!! NOT the Original DBOTANY., r/Coca101, January 2024. url: www.reddit.com/r/Coca101/comments/19ai8u6/caution_not_the_original_dbotany/.
27. High Germination Erythroxylum Coca Seed - Dbotany, July 2024. url: https://web.archive.org/web/20240723024226/https://dbotany.net/.
28. Ferreira, Jorge F. S. and Smeda, Reid J. and Duke, Stephen O., Control of Coca Plants (Erythroxylum Coca and E. Novogranatense) with Glyphosate, Weed Science, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 551--556, August 1997. doi: 10.1017/S0043174500088809. Abstract
    Glyphosate applied at rates of 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.1, 2.2, 3.4, 4.5, 6.7, 9.0, and 13.4 kg ai ha−1 was evaluated for the control of greenhouse-grown Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense and E. coca var. coca plants. Glyphosate reduced live weight of both species, 6 wk after treatment, at rates as low as 0.6 kg ha−1, but was more effective in reducing live weight and regrowth on E. novogranatense than E. coca. Glyphosate at 1.1 kg ha−1 killed 100\% of E. novogranatense plants 5 mo after treatment. Glyphosate rates of 2.2 kg ha−1 and higher reduced regrowth of E. coca plants 65 to 100\%, independent of leaf age at time of spraying. Control of regrowth persisted for over 17 mo after treatment, with 37\% of E. coca plants dying at rates of 13.4 kg ha−1 between 6 mo and 1 yr after treatment. Glyphosate, applied up to 6.7 kg ha−1, had no significant effect on regrowth of E. coca when plants were defoliated 24 h before treatment. Glyphosate at 2.2 kg ha−1 effectively killed E. novogranatense plants and reduced leaf production of E. coca plants.
29. Ferreira, Jorge F. S. and Reddy, Krishna N., Absorption and Translocation of Glyphosate in Erythroxylum Coca and E. Novogranatense, Weed Science, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 193--199, April 2000. doi: 10.1614/0043-1745(2000)048[0193:AATOGI]2.0.CO;2. Abstract
    Absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate was studied in greenhouse-grown Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. Autoradiography indicated that translocation patterns were similar for both species and that E. novogranatense absorbed and translocated more glyphosate than E. coca. In both young and mature plants, absorption of leaf-applied 14C-glyphosate increased with increased exposure time, and 288 h after application, absorption was higher in E. novogranatense (79 and 52\% of applied, respectively) compared with E. coca (60 and 14\% of applied, respectively). Similarly, translocation of 14C-glyphosate increased with time in both species. In mature plants, after 288 h more 14C-glyphosate translocated in E. novogranatense (6.9\% of applied) than E. coca (2.5\%), but the opposite occurred in young plants. Most of the radioactivity translocated from the treated leaf accumulated in the main stems and roots of both species with little accumulation in tissues above the treated leaf. However, most of the applied radioactivity remained in the treated leaf regardless of growth stage and species. The absorption of 14C-glyphosate in young and mature plants of E. coca was 1.3 and 3.6 times lower, respectively, than in E. novogranatense 288 h after treatment. Differences in absorption and translocation of glyphosate in E. coca and E. novogranatense may partially explain the reported differential response to glyphosate.