Carapichea ipecacuanha

Common card · No. 404252

Carapichea ipecacuanha is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil. Its common name, ipecacuanha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ipekɐkuˈɐ̃ɲɐ]), is derived from the Tupi ypekakûãîa (lit. 'duck penis'). The plant has been discussed under a variety of synonyms over the years by various botanists. The roots were used to make syrup of ipecac, a powerful emetic, a longtime over-the-counter medicine no longer approved for medical use in the West for lack of evidence of safety and efficacy. An example of emetic compound from the roots is emetine.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain