ABSTRACT
The leaves of Erythroxylon coca, the divine plant of the Incas, contain a local anesthetic and a psychostimulant. Erythroxylaceae is a very small family, represented by two genera, the more important of which is
Erythroxylon
. They are mostly tropical shrubs with entire leaves and 5merous flowers, and the fruit is a 1-seeded, reddish drupe resembling that of dogwood. The anatomy of the plants of this family closely resembles that of the
Linaceae
. Of special interest is the development of
papillae
on the dorsal surface of the leaves. This is found in most species of
Erythroxylon
.
