Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Ethoxyl species across northern Brazil and the Guianas have long been recognized for their mild tonic teas of the leaves. In Amapá, Brazil, rural peoples still prepare warm leaf infusions to ease “weakness” and occasional colds, while nearby in Guyana and neighboring regions such infusions are also used for the same symptoms, generally without added sweeteners (Evans-Pritchard and Tillman, 1992; DeFilipps et al., 2004). In the coastal rainforests of northern Venezuela, local residents report drinking a cold infusion of the same plant part for fever relief, sometimes in combination with other shade-tolerant forest herbs (Pittier, 1926). Outside of the Amazonian belt, the Chagossian tradition employs boiled leaf decoctions to “settle” the stomach and promote perspiration during bouts of chills (Wiehe, 1952).

One practical recipe that reflects these customs is a mild leaf tea. Place about 10 g of well-cleaned, fresh or lightly wilted leaves in 1 L of just-boiled water, cover and steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain. This quantity is typically taken as a single daily dose of 1–2 cups, or as warm “tussis” tea for several days. For chronic or persistent symptoms a concentrated leaf decoction is used: simmer the same amount of leaves with 1 L of water for 20 minutes, cool to drinking temperature, strain, and use within the day. In all cases, avoid repeated strong decoctions over long periods and, as with any plant remedy, discontinue if stomach upset, dizziness, or rash occur. As a safety note, because species in this genus can yield tropane alkaloids, do not use during pregnancy and avoid simultaneous use of sedative or stimulant substances without medical guidance.

Well-established constituents reported for Erythroxylum rotundifolium include the tropane alkaloids cinnamoylcocaine and truxillines, as well as the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol and their glycosides, compounds that plausibly support the mild analgesic, antispasmodic, and antipyretic effects described in ethnomedicine (Freise, 1936; Hegnauer, 1963). Although alkaloid levels in the leaves are typically modest compared with coca (E. coca), their presence reinforces the need for caution.

Today, limited commercial preparation exists, but interest is rising as phytochemists revisit Erythroxylum diversity and as regional herbalists in the Amazon retain modest leaf teas and decoctions for fever and colds, blending traditional practice with growing scientific attention to low-alkaloid tropane chemistry and flavonoid profiles (Zappi et al., 2015; Hegnauer, 1963).

General Uses Top

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Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Erythroxylum brevipes var. spinescens	(A.Rich.) Griseb.	Cat. Pl. Cub. 41 1866
Erythroxylum compactum	Rose	Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 313 (1905)
Erythroxylum fiscalense	Standl.	Publ. Field Columb. Mus., Bot. Ser. 22: 33 (1940)
Erythroxylum obovatum	Macfad.	Fl. Jamaica [Macfadyen] 1: 143. 1837
Erythroxylum pallidum	Rose	Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 314 (1905)
Erythroxylum pringlei	Rose	Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 314 (1905)
Erythroxylum sessiliflorum	O.E.Schulz	Pflanzenr. , IV, 134: 69 (1907)
Erythroxylum spinescens	A.Rich. in Sagra	Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc. : 255 (1841)
Erythroxylum suave	O.E.Schulz	Symb. Antill. 5: 197 (1907)
Erythroxylum suave var. aneurum	O.E.Schulz	Symb. Antill. 5: 199 (1907)
Erythroxylum suave var. compactum	(Rose) O.E.Schulz	Pflanzenr. , IV, 134: 68 (1907)
Erythroxylum suave var. jamaicense	O.E.Schulz	Symb. Antill. 5: 193 (1907)
Erythroxylum tikalense	Lundell	Wrightia 4: 177 (1971)
Erythroxylum brevipes var. spinescens	(A.Rich.) M.Gómez	Anales Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 19: 225. 1890

Common names Top

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Language	Common/alternative name
English	ratwood

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Northern America click to expand
- Mexico
  - Mexico Central
  - Mexico Gulf
  - Mexico Northeast
  - Mexico Southeast
  - Mexico Southwest

Southern America click to expand
- Caribbean
  - Bahamas
  - Cayman Islands
  - Cuba
  - Dominican Republic
  - Haiti
  - Jamaica
  - Leeward Islands
  - Puerto Rico
  - Trinidad-Tobago
  - Turks-caicos Islands
- Central America
  - Belize
  - Costa Rica
  - El Salvador
  - Guatemala
  - Honduras
  - Nicaragua

Links to other databases Top

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Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000680090
USDA Plants	ERRO3
Tropicos	12500247
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:330190-2
The Plant List	kew-2801646
Open Tree Of Life	3915940
NCBI Taxonomy	1471846
IUCN Red List	204910180
IPNI	330190-2
iNaturalist	277838
GBIF	2873940
EOL	581853

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.

Accession	Assembly
Accession	Name	Level	Submitter	Released	Coverage	Size
GCA_027563915.1	ASM2756391v1	Scaffold	Iridian Genomes	2023-01-03	105	843.87 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Linking Anthropogenic Landscape Perturbation to Herbivory and Pathogen Leaf Damage in Tropical Tree Communities

Pablo-Rodríguez JL, Bravo-Monzón ÁE, Montiel-González C, Benítez-Malvido J, Álvarez-Betancourt S, Ramírez-Sánchez O, Oyama K, Arena-Ortiz ML, Alvarez-Añorve MY, Avila-Cabadilla LD

Plants (Basel)

13-Nov-2023

PMCID:	PMC10675074
doi:	10.3390/plants12223839
PMID:	38005736

Plant Extracts from the Yucatan Peninsula in the In Vitro Control of Curvularia lunata and Antifungal Effect of Mosannona depressa and Piper neesianum Extracts on Postharvest Fruits of Habanero Pepper

Cruz-Cerino P, Cristóbal-Alejo J, Ruiz-Carrera V, Gamboa-Angulo M

Plants (Basel)

09-Aug-2023

PMCID:	PMC10459550
doi:	10.3390/plants12162908
PMID:	37631120

The complete genome sequences of 56 Erythroxylum species

White DM, Meinhard L, Bailey B, Pirro S

Biodivers Genomes

04-Nov-2022

PMCID:	PMC9728009
doi:	10.56179/001c.40336
PMID:	36482919

Extracts from Six Native Plants of the Yucatán Peninsula Hinder Mycelial Growth of Fusarium equiseti and F. oxysporum, Pathogens of Capsicum chinense

Cruz-Cerino P, Cristóbal-Alejo J, Ruiz-Carrera V, Carnevali G, Vera-Ku M, Martín J, Reyes F, Gamboa-Angulo M

Pathogens

10-Oct-2020

PMCID:	PMC7601340
doi:	10.3390/pathogens9100827
PMID:	33050398

P-glycoprotein inhibitors of natural origin as potential tumor chemo-sensitizers: A review

Abdallah HM, Al-Abd AM, El-Dine RS, El-Halawany AM

J Adv Res

01-Dec-2014

PMCID:	PMC4293676
doi:	10.1016/j.jare.2014.11.008
PMID:	25685543

The Relevance of Higher Plants in Lead Compound Discovery Programs

Kinghorn AD, Pan L, Fletcher JN, Chai H

J Nat Prod

08-Jun-2011

PMCID:	PMC3158731
doi:	10.1021/np200391c
PMID:	21650152

Diterpenes from the timber of 20 Erythroxylum species

Steven M. Ansell, Karl H. Pegel, David A.H. Taylor

Elsevier BV

25-Jul-2002

doi:	10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J

Reversal of multidrug resistance by tropane alkaloids from the stems of Erythroxylum rotundifolium.

Chávez D, Cui B, Chai HB, García R, Mejía M, Farnsworth NR, Cordell GA, Pezzuto JM, Kinghorn AD

J Nat Prod

01-Apr-2002

doi:	10.1021/NP0104774
PMID:	11975514

Tropane alkaloids from the leaves and stem bark of Erythroxylon alaternifolium and Erythroxylon rotundifolium.

Payo-Hill AL, Dominguez RS, Suarez MO, Batista-Baez M, Castro HT, Rastrelli L, Aquino R

Phytochemistry

01-Aug-2000

doi:	10.1016/S0031-9422(00)00087-X
PMID:	11014291

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives
[(1S,3R,5R,6R,7S)-7-hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[(E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate	636742	Click to see	587.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)00087-X
[(1S,3S,5R,6R,7R)-7-hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[(E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate	15908523	Click to see CN1C2CC(CC1C(C2O)OC(=O)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)OC)OC)OC)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	587.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)00087-X
[(1S,3S,5R,6R,7S)-7-hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[(E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate	10864852	Click to see CN1C2CC(CC1C(C2O)OC(=O)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)OC)OC)OC)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	587.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
[7-Hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate	73819195	Click to see CN1C2CC(CC1C(C2O)OC(=O)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)OC)OC)OC)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	587.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids
(1R,4R,7S,9R,10R,13R)-7-hydroxy-13-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5,9-trimethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-8-one	163083334	Click to see	318.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
(1R,4R,8R,9R,10R,13R)-8-hydroxy-13-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5,9-trimethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-7-one	162850865	Click to see	318.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
(1R,4R,9R,10R,13S)-5,5,9,13-tetramethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-8-one	162852656	Click to see	286.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
(3S)-5-[(1R,4aS,5S,8aS)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-5,8a-dimethyl-2-methylidene-3,4,4a,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-1-yl]-3-methylpent-1-en-3-ol	25803329	Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1CCC(=C)C2CCC(C)(C=C)O)C)CO	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
[(1R,4R,9R,10S,13R)-5,5,9-trimethyl-13-tetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-enyl]methanol	162945542	Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1CCC34C2CCC(C3)(C=C4)CO)C)C	288.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
1-Naphthalenepropanol, alpha-ethenyldecahydro-alpha,5,5,8a-tetramethyl-2-methylene-	238792	Click to see	290.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
18-Hydroxymanool	349315	Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1CCC(=C)C2CCC(C)(C=C)O)C)CO	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
5,5,9,13-Tetramethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-8-one	162852655	Click to see	286.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
7-Hydroxy-13-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5,9-trimethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-8-one	163083333	Click to see	318.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
8-Hydroxy-13-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5,9-trimethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadec-14-en-7-one	162850864	Click to see	318.40	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
Ent-manool	12312732	Click to see	290.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Colensane and clerodane diterpenoids
(1R)-1-[(2S,4aS,4bR,8aR,10aS)-2,4a,8a-trimethyl-8-methylidene-1,3,4,4b,5,6,7,9,10,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2-yl]ethane-1,2-diol	101281343	Click to see	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
1-(2,4a,8a-Trimethyl-8-methylidene-1,3,4,4b,5,6,7,9,10,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2-yl)ethane-1,2-diol	12305912	Click to see	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Kaurane diterpenoids
Kauran-16,17-diol	13816761	Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1CCC34C2CCC(C3)C(C4)(CO)O)C)C	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
Kaurane-16,17-diol	13816758	Click to see	306.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Polyols / 1,2-diols
6-(1,2-dihydroxyethyl)-6,8a-dimethyl-1-(4-methylpent-4-enyl)-3,4,4a,5,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-2-one	163015056	Click to see	322.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(93)85235-J
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Coumaric acids and derivatives
[(1S,3S,5R,6R,7S)-7-acetyloxy-8-methyl-3-[(E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] benzoate	12047363	Click to see CC(=O)OC1C2CC(CC(C1OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)N2C)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	539.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
[(1S,3S,5R,6R,7S)-7-hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[(E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]oxy-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] benzoate	12047362	Click to see CN1C2CC(CC1C(C2O)OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	497.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
[7-Acetyloxy-8-methyl-3-[3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] benzoate	73819197	Click to see CC(=O)OC1C2CC(CC(C1OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)N2C)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	539.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
[7-Hydroxy-8-methyl-3-[3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] benzoate	73188471	Click to see CN1C2CC(CC1C(C2O)OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)OC(=O)C=CC4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)OC)OC	497.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
[8-Methyl-3-[3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl] benzoate	73819196	Click to see	481.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
Plzllrpgnbzdsi-nnpaekpasa-	11092054	Click to see	481.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774
Plzllrpgnbzdsi-tyblwadwsa-	12047361	Click to see	481.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0104774

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Erythroxylum rotundifolium

Table of Contents

Details Top

Ethnobotanical Use Top

General Uses Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Gallery Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top