Catha edulis

Diagnostic character agreement

Record whether the available leaf, stem and reproductive characters agree with an authoritative description and which characters cannot be observed.

1. Which observed leaf margins, venation, texture and dimensions support identification as Catha edulis? measurement
2. Which alternative taxa remain plausible given the organs and specimen quality available? boundary

Authenticated reference link

Connect the identification to a botanical reference, voucher or expert determination and delimit its applicability.

1. Who identified this specimen, by what method, and against which authenticated reference? provenance
2. Does the identification cover the whole plant, one detached sample or every component of a mixed lot? boundary

Growth and reproductive state

Distinguish vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting and demonstrated propagule viability without inferring fertility from appearance alone.

1. Is this a rooted individual, unrooted propagule or detached material, and what evidence establishes viability? definition
2. Which new shoots, flowers, fruits or viable propagules have been observed, and when? measurement

Symptom-based care assessment

Record leaf and shoot symptoms, root observations and environmental history before attributing deterioration to a cause.

1. What changes in leaf turgor, shoot growth, lesions or dieback occurred alongside recorded water, temperature or substrate conditions? measurement
2. Which care action is supported by the evidence, and what follow-up observation would show improvement or failure? action

Source and local name evidence

Separate documented collection or cultivation origin from seller claims, local names and unverified cultivar labels.

1. Which collection record, accession or supplier record supports the asserted origin? provenance
2. Does a local or trade name denote this species, a claimed cultivar or only a commercial grade? definition

Organ and lot attribution

Preserve organ identity, harvest timing and mixing history for detached Catha edulis material.

1. Which organs and source individuals contributed to this lot, and when were they detached? provenance
2. What portion of the lot can a sampled identification or assay reasonably represent? boundary

Postharvest condition evidence

Record elapsed time, preservation events and deterioration observations without treating a fresh-looking leaf as proof of chemical composition.

1. What harvest, storage, drying and packaging events are documented for this material? provenance
2. What wilting, moisture change, discoloration or visible microbial growth is observed at assessment? measurement

Assay interpretation limits

Record cathinone and cathine results with analytical context; distinguish untested material from a substantiated non-detection.

1. What cathinone and cathine concentrations were measured, using which mass basis, method, detection limits and sample date? measurement
2. Which contaminants were actually tested, and what conclusions remain unsupported by the assay scope? boundary

Material and jurisdiction match

Resolve the relevant material category, locations and authority before determining whether an action may proceed.

1. What exact action is proposed for which plant part or material form, on what date and in which origin, transit and destination jurisdictions? action
2. Which current authoritative requirements and permit records support the determination for this material? provenance

Evidence-bounded disposition

Choose retention, care, sampling, transfer or disposal based on the specimen's documented state and applicable authority.

1. Do unresolved identification, deterioration, contamination or permission questions require holding the material pending further evidence? action
2. Which handling or disposition action is justified, and what record will preserve the material's identity and the decision basis? action

Kinds and varieties

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Yemeni red-stem khat (local cultivars distinguished by stem colour and leaf texture)
• Yemeni white/green-stem khat
• Ethiopian highland khat (e.g. Harar / Awaday trade types)
• Kenyan miraa (Nyambene / Meru trade types, often sold as bundled twigs)
• Wild or feral Catha edulis (uncultivated East African populations)
• Ornamental / botanical-garden specimens (non-chewing horticultural stock)

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Wikidata - Q207642 - Item for the species Catha edulis.
• ITIS TSN - 506084 - Integrated Taxonomic Information System taxonomic serial number.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Standards and regulation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• UN 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances: cathinone (Schedule I) and cathine (Schedule III), as administered by INCB/WHO scheduling.
• US CSA: cathinone is a Schedule I controlled substance (DEA); Catha edulis plant material is treated as containing that substance in US enforcement practice.
• National bans or controls on khat plant material in much of Europe, North America, and parts of Asia; licensed or customary use remains in Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, and some neighbouring markets.

1. Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Fresh young shoots and leaves are bundled and chewed in social sessions (khat / qat / miraa markets in Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya).
• Alkaloids are extracted or isolated for forensic, pharmaceutical, and illicit analogue chemistry (cathinone as a parent of synthetic cathinones).
• Botanical identification in customs, forensic, and conservation herbaria.
• Occasional ornamental or ethnobotanical cultivation outside the native range.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Typical measurements

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Cathinone content of fresh young leaves - about 0.3-2.0 (highly variable with freshness and cultivar) - mg/g fresh weight
• Leaf/shoot bundle mass as sold - 100-400 - g per retail bundle
• Plant height at maturity - 1-8 (occasionally taller as a small tree) - m

1. Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Rapid post-harvest loss of cathinone (conversion to cathine), so delayed transport yields a weaker, more cathine-dominant product.
• Acute stimulant toxicity: tachycardia, hypertension, insomnia, anorexia; dependence and psychiatric effects with heavy chronic use.
• Legal seizure of plant material and derived cathinones in jurisdictions that schedule the plant or its alkaloids.
• Oral and dental disease from prolonged chewing; possible association with cardiovascular events in heavy users.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Horn of Africa and Yemen: everyday social chewing crop with named local cultivars and wet-market grades.
• Kenya: sold as miraa (Nyambene/Meru production, air-freighted while still fresh).
• Europe, North America, Australia: plant and/or alkaloids generally prohibited; encountered mainly as seized consignments or in diaspora informal trade.
• Arabic qat/gat vs Somali/qaad vs Swahili miraa vs English khat - same species, different trade names.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

• Ephedra spp. (ephedrine-containing shrubs) - Different family (Ephedraceae); chemistry is ephedrine/pseudoephedrine, not cathinone/cathine; morphology is jointed stems rather than Celastraceae leaves.
• Catha transvaalensis and other southern African Catha - Distinct species; not the commercial chewing khat of Yemen/Horn of Africa; confirm with flora keys and, if needed, alkaloid profile.
• Synthetic cathinones ("bath salts") - Laboratory-made analogues (mephedrone, MDPV, etc.), not plant material; identified by GC-MS/LC-MS rather than botanical characters.
• Tea (Camellia sinensis) or other chewed greens in transit - Wrong family and chemistry; khat has characteristic Celastraceae leaf venation and cathinone/cathine on analysis.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Catha edulis this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance