Cinchona pubescens Cinchona pubescens Cinchona pubescens, also known as red cinchona and quina (Quechua) ( "Cascarilla, cinchona"; "quina-do-amazonas, quineira"), is native to Central and South America. It is known as a medicinal plant for its bark's high quinine content- and has similar uses to "Cinchona officinalis" in the production of quinine, most famously used for treatment of malaria. "C. pubescens" varies from small to large in size, growing to 10 meters in height (33 ft). When cut, the bark tends to turn red. Leaves are elliptical to oblate and thin. The leaves have pubescent teeth that turn red when they are older,
Cinchona viceroy in Lima. While the veracity of the claims and the details are highly debated leaving it best treated as a legend, the curative properties were known even earlier. The history of the plant, their extracts, and the cures are however highly confused and controversial. Suggestions that the plant went by the native name of Quina Quina which yielded Quina bark have been questioned. Other fever cures from South America were known as Jesuit's Bark and Jesuit's Powder in Europe earlier but although they have been traced to "Cinchona", there is evidence of materials being derived from other species such