Cinchona was given its scientific name by the Danish botanist Martin Vahl in 1790; Linnaeus had earlier named the
genusCinchona after the Countess of Cinchon, the wife of the Spanish Viceroy of Peru, during the mid-18th century.
Native to the Andes, from Costa Rica to Bolivia.
Life form: long-lived tree.
Part used: quinine is extracted from the bark. Quinine is a
febrifuge, which means that it reduces fever by lowering the body temperature.
