Cinchona

=Cinchona=

Cinchona is a herb used in medical practices. The bark is the part if the plant that is mainly used in these medicinal mixes. The healing properties were discovered my the Quechua civilization, a diverse Andean tribe. It is used to help cure malaria and relax muscles; it is known to be very effective. Though many modern medicines have ignored this herb as a means of curing ailments, it is still the only known cure for malaria. The collection of the bark is environmentally harmful though, and the people paid to gather the bark are paid a very small wage, barely enough to live on.

This plant is a very large source of alkaloids, a very helpful chemical found in inhalers and other modern medicines. It is part of the Rubiaceae family, a plant family known for the plant used to make coffee. The Cinchona plant is often a small, flowering shrub. the flowers are often pink or red and is very long and skinny, much like the popularly planted Daylily. During World War II there were even cinchona farms that the allies and axis powers fought over! Overall, the cinchona plant has played a huge role in history. It is very unique and interesting.

By: Brianne Phillips