\Ip`e*cac`u*an"ha\, n. [Pg. ipecacuanha (cf. Sp.
ipecacuana); fr. Braz. ipe-kaa-guena, prop., a creeping plant
that causes vomiting.] (Med. & Bot.)
The root of a Brazilian rubiaceous herb ({Cepha["e]lis
Ipecacuanha}), largely employed as an emetic; also, the plant
itself; also, a medicinal extract of the root. Many other
plants are used as a substitutes; among them are the black or
Peruvian ipecac ({Psychotria emetica}), the white ipecac
({Ionidium Ipecacuanha}), the bastard or wild ipecac
({Asclepias Curassavica}), and the undulated ipecac
({Richardsonia scabra}).