Cinchona calisaya Wedd., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3, 10: 6 (1848) (syn: Cinchona amygdalifolia Wedd.; Cinchona australis Wedd.; Cinchona calisaya var. josephiana Wedd.; Cinchona carabayensis Wedd.; Cinchona delondriana Wedd.; Cinchona euneura Miq.; Cinchona forbesiana Howard ex Wedd.; Cinchona gammiana King; Cinchona gironensis Mutis; Cinchona hasskarliana Miq.; Cinchona josephiana (Wedd.) Wedd.; Cinchona ledgeriana (Howard) Bern.Moens ex Trimen; Cinchona officinalis var. josephiana (Wedd.) Cárdenas; Cinchona pahudiana Howard; Cinchona peruviana Howard; Cinchona thwaitesii King; Cinchona weddelliana Kuntze; Quinquina calisaya (Wedd.) Kuntze; Quinquina carabayensis (Wedd.) Kuntze; Quinquina carabayensis var. villosa Kuntze; Quinquina ledgeriana (Howard) Kuntze);
.
Central Peru to Central Bolivia: Bolivia, Peru, Zaïre; Introduced into: Caroline Is., Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is. as per POWO;
.

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-5--6.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-7--4.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-3--5.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-1--0.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-2--6.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-4--0.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae%20-6--8-4.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rubiaceae-8-3.jpg

Nilgiris: Rubiaceae for identification 311012MK02:
Please help me to identify this tree species found planted in an urban area of Ooty.
Tree height is up to 6 metres.

Leaf: 18 x 6 cm
Flower: 2cm long
Fruit: 3 x 0.5 cm

Place: Ooty town, Nilgiris, TN
Date: 12 Oct 2012
Alt: c. 2100 m asl


Very beautiful flowers
Sterculia species? Just a guess


It is Cinchona plant


… might just be very right… I had forgotten these flowers… this reminds me… it may be…


Yes I could find similar images on searching for Cinchona….
It looks like Cinchona pubescens.


A beautiful addition to our floral data. I liked the plant and the photographs


The link http://www.tropicos.org/Name/27900681 shows pictures of C. pubescens (C. succirubra); which does not match the tree I posted.
I think the tree may be C. officinalis L. as in http://www.tropicos.org/Name/27900157

Looks more close to Cinchona calisaya Wedd.  FoPI


There seems to be some confusion here about it’s correct identity.
All three species listed in Flora of Penionsular India are cultivated here from South America and appear quite close. But it does not give any keys.
According to M.Sanjappa ji’s images in Flora of Peninsular India, it may be close to Cinchona calisaya. But it shows its distribution in Idukki district of Kerala.
FOI lists similar plant from Niligirs (from where … has posted) as Cinchona pubescens Vahl (syn: Cinchona subsessilis Miq.), identified by Santhosh ji. Flora of Peninsular India gives its distribution in the area.
GBIF also gives a specimen from this area, which appears close.
Flora of China gives keys as per which it is more likely to be C. pubescens.
Pl. see FoC illustration.
It say:
“Several species of Cinchona are the natural source of quinine, which has long been used worldwide as a treatment for malaria. Quinine is found along with several other alkaloids in high concentrations in some species of Cinchona, particularly the bark; these alkaloids give the plants their bitter taste. Cinchona is native to South America, where its species are not all well differentiated, are morphologically variable, and hybridize freely especially in cultivation, where numerous artificial hybrids have been created. Cinchona was recently monographed by Andersson (Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 80: 1-75. 1998), followed here, who clarified the identities of the commonly cultivated species. ”
In view, I feel it may be Cinchona pubescens Vahl (syn: Cinchona subsessilis Miq.),


Taking it as Cinchona calisaya Wedd. as per distribution given in BSI Flora of India Checklist



.