Peruvian bark

cin·cho·na

(sin-kō'nă),

The dried bark of the root and stem of various species of Cinchona, a genus of evergreen trees (family Rubiaceae), native of South America but cultivated in various tropic regions. The cultivated bark contains 7-10% of total alkaloids; about 70% is quinine. Cinchona contains more than 20 alkaloids, of which two pairs of isomers are most important: quinine and quinidine, and cinchonidine and cinchonine.

Synonym(s): bark (2) , Jesuits' bark, Peruvian bark, quina, quinaquina, quinquina

[Cinchona, fr. Countess of Chinch'on]

Peruvian bark

(1) China, see there.
(2) Cinchona, see there; Cinchona species.