Coca, << KOH kuh, >> is the name of a large group of tropical South American shrubs or small trees. Coca plants grow about 3 to 12 feet (0.9 to 3.7 meters) tall. Two species of coca shrubs are cultivated as drug plants—the Huanuco coca, also called Bolivian coca; and the Colombian coca. The Huanuco coca is a greenish-brown plant with shiny, thick stems. The leaves are about 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) long with smooth edges. The Colombian coca is pale green and has smaller leaves.
The leaves of both the Huanuco and Colombian coca plants contain several drugs used in medicine as anesthetics (painkillers). These drugs include cocaine, tropacocaine, and hygrine. Cocaine also is illegally used for nonmedical purposes. Such use of cocaine can be hazardous and addictive. Some South American people chew coca leaves with lime to improve endurance. The drugs in the leaves keep them from feeling tired or hungry, but they do not nourish the body.
