乔木或灌木。单叶互生，托叶常位于叶柄内侧，早落。花两性，簇生，花萼宿存，花瓣5片，内面常有舌状附属体，雄蕊10～20。蒴果、核果或浆果。有2～5属，约200余种，主要产于南美热带。中国有2属，分布于南部。
游览玻利维亚首都拉巴斯或秘鲁印加文化遗址库斯科的观光客，通常都会拿到一杯迎宾的古柯叶茶以纾缓高山症（soroche）症状。
TOURISTS who visit Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, or Cusco, Peru’s former Inca seat, are routinely given welcome cups of coca tea to mitigate soroche (altitude sickness).
哥伦比亚科吉人中有史以来第一个访问英国的人穿着传统粗棉布衣服，肩上各斜挎一个布袋，一边嚼着烤古柯叶。
The first member of the Kogi people of Colombia ever to visit Britain is wearing traditional rough cotton clothes and has a cloth bag slung over each shoulder as he chews toasted coca leaves.
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