The document discusses the plant family Rubiaceae, otherwise known as the coffee family. It specifically focuses on Cinchona pubescens, commonly known as red cinchona. Some key details are: - Cinchona pubescens is a tall tree native to Central and South America that grows in tropical forests between 300-3900 meters in altitude. - Its bark contains quinine and quinidine, which are used to treat malaria and cardiac arrhythmias, respectively. An infusion of the bark also has other medicinal uses. - The leaves are opposite and ovate with an entire margin. Pink flowers grow in panicle inflorescences and develop into capsular fruits containing

2.  Family of Flowering Plants
 Also called “Coffee Family”
 Consists 450 Genera and 6500 Species
 Plants are cosmopolitan, but mostly grow
in tropical and sub-tropical region
 Usually shrubs, sometimes trees or herbs
 Leaves:-
Simple, usually entire
Opposite, sometimes whorled
Interpetiolar stipule present

3.  Inflorescence:-Usually Cymose, less often
solitary
 Flowers:-
Small to medium sized
Bisexual, actinomorphic, complete
Bracteate and epigynous
 Calyx:- 4-5 lobed, free or united, Valvate
aestivation
 Corolla:- 4-5 fused petals, Imbricate/valvate
aestivation
 Androecium:- 4-5 stamens, free, epipetalous
 Gynoecium:- 2-5 fused carpels, ovary:
inferior, unilocular or
bilocular, axile or parietal
placentation

4.  Fruit:- Capsule or Drupe
 Seeds:- Endospermic
 Some plants belonging to this family:
Coffea arabica Psychotria

6.  Synonyms:- Cinchona chomelina
Cinchona pupurea
Cinchona lutea
 Common name:- Red Cinchona(English)
Quinine Tree(English)
Peruvian Bark
 Systematic position:-
Plantae
Angiospermae
Dicotyledoneae
Gentianales
Rubiaceae
Cinchona
pubescens

7.  Distribution and habitat:-
Native to Central and South America, China
Growing at an altitude of 300-3900m
Especially in tropical forest
When grown on non-native place becomes
invasive
Tall trees with evergreen foliage
Grow well in sandy acidic soil of volcanic
origin
Usually grow up to about 30m height

8.  Leaf:-
Ovate shaped of length 24-50cm and
breadth 17-40cm
Entire margin
Acuminate apex
Petiolate and opposite

9.  Bark:-
 Quills upto 30cm long, 2-6mm thick
 Outer surface bear moss or lichen
 Colour varies from yellowish-brown to deep
reddish brown
 Fracture is short in outer part and fibrous in
inner part
 Inner surface is striated
 Slight odor
 Bitter and astringent taste

11.  Inflorescence:- Panicle (Compound racemose)
 Flower:-
 Pink colour, tubular in shape, pedicellate,
bisexual, actinomorphic and epigynous
 Calyx:-
 5 fused tubular sepals
 Valvate aestivation
 Green in colour
 Corolla:-
 5 fused petals
 Valvate aestivation
 Densely pubescent
 Androecium:-
 5 free stamens

12.  Gynoecium:-
 2 fused carpels
 Inferior ovary

13.  Fruit:-
 Capsule, lanceolate to oblong in shape
 Numerous seeds
 Endospermic seed

14.  Transverse section of bark shows:
 Cork:-
 Several layers of thin walled cells
 Contain amorphous reddish brown matter
 Phellogen:- Cork cambium
 Secondary Cortex (Phelloderm):-
 Composed of tangentially elongated thin walled
parenchymatous cells
 Scattered calcium oxalate crystals and secretion
cells present
 Phloem:- Consists of:
 Compressed and collapsed sieve tube
 Phloem parenchyma and lignified fibres
 Medullary rays:- Narrow, 2-3 cells wide, straight

16. QUININE QUINIDINE

17.  The medicinally important part of Cinchona
is its bark
 Quinine have bactericidal property.
 Quinine is poison for Plasmodium spp. So it is
widely used as an anti-malarial drug
 Quinidine is a cardiac depressant.
 It is used in treatment of cardiac arrhythmia

18.  Bark of Cinchona have following medicinal
uses as well:
 Its bitter tonic induces digestive secretion
and boost appetite
 Infusion made from bark used in treatment
of infected throats and oral problems
 It stimulate uterine contraction during
labour.
 Used in skin infections, measles, hay
fever, neuralgia
 Also in some countries used in treatment of
cancer and physical fatigue

19.  Rubiaceae. Available :
http://www.herbarium.hawaii.edu/BOT461/query/details.php
?field=family&family=Rubiaceae [Date accessed: 12/02/2014]
 Cinchona. Available :
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_cinchona.htm [Date
accessed: 11/02/2014]
 Invasive Species Specialist Group of IUCN. Cinchona pubescens.
Available :
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=63
[Date accessed: 12/02/2014]
 Cinchona pubescens. Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinchona_pubescens [Date
accessed: 24/01/2014]
 Rubiaceae. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubiaceae
[Date accessed: 24/01/2014]
 SHAH, B.N. and SETH, A.K., (2010). Textbook of
Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. India: Reed Elsevier India
Private Limited.