Cinchona nitida
Cinchona nitida
Cinchona nitida is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or tree with pink flowers and capsule fruits. The species is native to Peru. Cinchona nitida was described in 1799, and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
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Cinchona Nitida -Vera. Wellcome M0001373Flore médicale des Antilles, ou, Traité des plantes usuelles (8261830648)Cinchona Nitida -Vera. Wellcome M0001373Flore médicale des Antilles, ou, Traité des plantes usuelles (8261830648)Overview
The leaves are obovate, more or less papery when dry, 5.6-16 cm in long, 2.2-6.5 cm in wide, and sometimes have small, indistinct domatia. The leaf stems are 0.6-1.9 cm in long.
The calyx is 2.5-2.9 mm in long, and has triangular, 1.1-1.3 mm in long lobes. The corolla is a pinkish tube, measuring 14-15 mm in long, and has 4-6.1 mm in long lobes.
The fruits are dehiscent capsules, measuring 12-23 mm in long, and 4-5 mm in wide. The endocarp is papery. The seeds are irregularly oblong, 6.1-7.9 mm in long, and 1.5-1.6 mm in wide.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed & germination
The plant is propagated mainly by **seed**: sow fresh or pre-treated seed in loose, moist soil and keep it evenly damp; germination follows within a few weeks.
Seedling & growth
Seedlings establish, forming leaves and roots; growth rate depends on light and moisture.
Flowering
The plant blooms with **fragrant white-pink flowers, late spring–summer**; pollination is by insects and wind.
Fruiting & harvest
After flowering the plant sets fruit and seed; **ripe capsules gathered in autumn–winter**.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Peru92%
- India7%
- Colombia1%
Habitat & conservation
Cinchona nitida is native to the wet tropical biome of Huánuco, Peru. It grows mainly in elfin forests and boggy areas, at elevations of 1500-3000 m ft.
Conservation
In 2022, the IUCN assessed Cinchona nitida as Endangered.
References
- 1Cinchona nitida — Wikipedia — Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), 2026
- 2A revision of the genus Cinchona (Rubiaceae-Cinchoneae) — New York Botanical Garden, 1998
- 3''Cinchona nitida'' Ruiz & Pav. — CatalogueOfLife.org,
- 4GBIF — occurrence records of Cinchona nitida — GBIF, 2026
- 5Hình ảnh — Wikimedia Commons (2 ảnh, giấy phép CC/PD) — Wikimedia Commons, 2026