Fagara coco
Encyclopedia
Zanthoxylum coco is an evergreen tree of the Rutaceae
family, natural of Argentina
and Bolivia
where it grows in the wild, mostly hilly, spinniferous forests. Its natural habitat ranges the hilly forest of Sierras Pampeanas.
with imparipinnate leafs that present paired spines presumably in the place of leaflets. Punctations, in pairs, on the leaflets are quite notable. Leafs have serrated margins and pinnate venation. Flowers have five petal
s and are arranged in panicular
inflorescences. The fruit is spheric shaped, dehiscent
; containing a shiny blackish seed.
The whole plant has a characteristic unpleasant smell; there comes "smelly sauco" as another common name.
s. Fagarine, N-methylisocoridine, eskimminianine, α-fagarine, fagarine-2, magnoflorinne, nitidine, cheleritrinne, berberine
, palmatine
and candicine have been isolated from folliage and wood.
genus. However, most local scientific articles use Fagara as the genus of choice.
Rutaceae
Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, is a family of flowering plants, usually placed in the order Sapindales.Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents...
family, natural of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
where it grows in the wild, mostly hilly, spinniferous forests. Its natural habitat ranges the hilly forest of Sierras Pampeanas.
Description
The coco, also cochucho or smelly sauco, is usually found either in isolated groups or standing alone. It's a small to medium sized tree, ranging 6 to 8 m high. The folliage is abundant, evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
with imparipinnate leafs that present paired spines presumably in the place of leaflets. Punctations, in pairs, on the leaflets are quite notable. Leafs have serrated margins and pinnate venation. Flowers have five petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s and are arranged in panicular
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
inflorescences. The fruit is spheric shaped, dehiscent
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
; containing a shiny blackish seed.
The whole plant has a characteristic unpleasant smell; there comes "smelly sauco" as another common name.
Biochemistry
Even though unused in general botanical pharmacopea, Zanthoxylum coco tissues are very rich in alkaloidAlkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
s. Fagarine, N-methylisocoridine, eskimminianine, α-fagarine, fagarine-2, magnoflorinne, nitidine, cheleritrinne, berberine
Berberine
Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis Berberine is a quaternary...
, palmatine
Palmatine
Palmatine is a protoberberine alkaloid found in several plants including Phellodendron amurense, Rhizoma coptidis/Coptis Chinensis and Corydalis yanhusuo.It is the major component of the protoberberine extract from Enantia chlorantha....
and candicine have been isolated from folliage and wood.
Taxon synonym usage
The coco belongs to the ZanthoxylumZanthoxylum
Zanthoxylum is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs in the citrus or rue family, Rutaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. Common names include Prickly-ash and Hercules' Club.The fruit of several species are used to make the spice...
genus. However, most local scientific articles use Fagara as the genus of choice.