The cola tree is native to tropical West Africa, primarily Nigeria and from Sierra Leone to Gabon. It is cultivated in the tropical regions of Asia and the Americas, as well as in West and Central Africa and Madagascar. Cola seeds are mainly from imports from Nigeria and West African countries.
Cola tree as a medicine
The dried seed kernels freed from the seed coat are used as a drug (colae semen). Removal of the seed coat can be done in different ways: one is by soaking the seeds in water and then pulling off the coat, the other is by drying the fresh seeds and washing off the torn shell.
Cola tree: typical characteristics
Cola seeds may be derived from the two parent plants mentioned, Cola nitida or Cola acuminata (VENT.) SCHOTT and ENDL. Cola acuminata is a tree up to 20 m tall. The mighty crown unfolds in this species already 1-2 m above the ground, while branching in Cola nitida begins only 5-10 m above the ground.
The leaves are large (15-25 cm long) and have entire margins; the leaves of Cola nitida are narrower. Flowers usually arise directly from the trunk; they are yellowish-white, about 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, and grow in truss-like inflorescences.
Fruits and seeds of the cola tree
The tree also bears star-shaped aggregate bellows fruits – per fruit you can count about 5-15 seeds with white seed coat. After removing the seed coat, the seeds of Cola nitida break into two, while the seeds of Cola acuminata break into four irregular parts.
The dried seeds or pieces of them are between 2 and 4 cm long in the drug, hard and reddish to dark brown in color. The essential component of the pieces are the cotyledons, which are flat to concave on the inside and irregularly convex on the outside.
Kola seeds: Odor and taste
Kola seeds emit a faint aromatic odor. The taste of kola seeds is bitter and astringent (“astringent”).
