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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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Records from Departamento La Caldera


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.





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Species photographs

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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: 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



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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
244157601/03/2026ArgentinaSaltaMunicipio de Vaqueros, Lesser, Escuela Madre Tierra, alambrada Norte, Departamento La CalderaEduardo Vicente Fumarola
228349104/05/2025ArgentinaSaltaMunicipio Vaqueros Rp 115 Alambrado Norte de la Escuela Madre Tierra, Departamento La CalderaEduardo Vicente Fumarola
Page 1

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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 26/09/2026.