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Zanthoxylum coco

Zanthoxylum coco

Gill
Coco

Family: Rutaceae
Order: Sapindales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Phylum / Division: Magnoliophyta
Kingdom: Plantae

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Other common names: Sauco Hediondo.

Synonyms: Fagara coco.





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Description


Zanthoxylum coco (also known as Fagara coco) is an evergreen tree of the family Rutaceae, native to Argentina and Bolivia where it grows in the wild, mostly in spiniferous forests of the low mountain ranges of the western Chaco. It is characteristic of the hill forest of the Sierras Pampeanas.

 The coco, also cochucho or smelly sauco, is usually found either in isolated groups or standing alone, from a small to medium-sized tree, ranging from 6 to 8 metres in height. The foliage is abundant, evergreen with imparipinnate leaves that present paired spines presumably in the place of leaflets. Punctations, in pairs, on the leaflets are quite distinctive. Leaves have serrated margins and pinnate venation. Flowers have five petals and are arranged in paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is spherically shaped, dehiscent; containing a shiny blackish seed.
The whole plant has a characteristic unpleasant smell, hence the alternative name "smelly sauco".

Biochemistry: Even though unused in the general botanical pharmacopeia, Zanthoxylum coco tissues are very rich in alkaloids. γ-Fagarine, N-methylisocorydine, skimminianine, α-fagarine, fagarine-2, magnoflorine, nitidine, chelerythrine, berberine, palmatine and candicine have been isolated from the foliage and wood.

Taxon synonym usage: The coco belongs to the genus Zanthoxylum. However, most local scientific articles use Fagara as the genus name.

Source: Wikipedia, article Zanthoxylum coco. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 17/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 19

Foto
Photography ID: 676242
♂ ♀
  Adult

Departamento La Caldera
Salta
Argentina
03/01/2026
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
Foto
Photography ID: 676241
♂ ♀
  Adult

Departamento La Caldera
Salta
Argentina
03/01/2026
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
Foto
Photography ID: 633271
  Adult

Los Ángeles
Catamarca
Argentina
05/03/2025
Federico Carlos Izasa
Foto
Photography ID: 633227
  Seedling

Departamento La Caldera
Salta
Argentina
05/04/2025
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
Foto
Photography ID: 633226
  Seedling

Departamento La Caldera
Salta
Argentina
05/04/2025
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
Foto
Photography ID: 628051
  Adult

General Pico
La Pampa
Argentina
03/23/2025
Hugo Alberto Valderrey
Foto
Photography ID: 595873
♂ ♀
  Seedling

Cabana, Unquillo
Córdoba
Argentina
05/15/2024
Manuel Eduardo Serra
Foto
Photography ID: 583822
♂ ♀
  Seedling

Cabana, Unquillo
Córdoba
Argentina
05/15/2024
Manuel Eduardo Serra
Foto
Photography ID: 577961
  Adult

El Duraznillo
La Rioja
Argentina
02/07/2021
Ramón Vera
Foto
Photography ID: 577960
  Adult

El Duraznillo
La Rioja
Argentina
02/07/2021
Ramón Vera
Foto
Photography ID: 567078
  Seedling

Salta (Capital)
Salta
Argentina
01/26/2024
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
Foto
Photography ID: 567077
  Seedling

Salta (Capital)
Salta
Argentina
01/26/2024
Eduardo Vicente Fumarola



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 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Species records

Count: 14



Page 1 of 2
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
250208828/07/202614:30ArgentinaBuenos AiresRuta sin nombrar, San Antonio de ArecoSantiago Juan Torres
244157601/03/2026ArgentinaSaltaMunicipio de Vaqueros, Lesser, Escuela Madre Tierra, alambrada Norte, Departamento La CalderaEduardo Vicente Fumarola
232561825/07/202510:27ArgentinaCiudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresJuana Manso 445, Puerto Madero1María Cecilia De Larminat
228349104/05/2025ArgentinaSaltaMunicipio Vaqueros Rp 115 Alambrado Norte de la Escuela Madre Tierra, Departamento La CalderaEduardo Vicente Fumarola
228363203/05/2025ArgentinaCatamarcaLos ÁngelesFederico Carlos Izasa
226595623/03/2025ArgentinaLa PampaGeneral PicoHugo Alberto Valderrey
203368215/05/2024ArgentinaCórdobaReserva Natural Los Quebrachitos, Cabana, UnquilloManuel Eduardo Serra
195663926/01/2024ArgentinaSaltaCercanías del Cerro de la Virgen, Salta (Capital)Eduardo Vicente Fumarola
154554516/10/2021ArgentinaCórdobaCerro La Cruz - Reserva Vaquería, Valle HermosoWalter Bustamante
201608307/02/2021ArgentinaLa RiojaEl DuraznilloRamón Vera
Page 1 of 2

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Zanthoxylum coco – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 15/09/2026.