Carapichea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae (order Gentianales), native to tropical Central America and northern South America from Nicaragua to Brazil. The genus comprises 24 accepted species of shrubs and small herbaceous plants found in lowland and montane tropical forests. It is best known for Carapichea ipecacuanha, the source of ipecac syrup — the roots contain the alkaloids emetine and cephaeline, historically used as a powerful emetic. Many species were formerly placed in Psychotria and were reclassified based on molecular phylogenetic evidence. The type species is C. guianensis, described by Aublet in 1775 from French Guiana.
Etymology
The genus name Carapichea was published by Jean Baptiste Christophe Fusée Aublet in 1775 in Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Françoise, derived from "Carapiche," the Galibi (Carib) indigenous name for the plant in French Guiana. The common name of the type species, ipecacuanha, comes from the Tupi ypekakûãîa, literally meaning "duck penis."
Distribution
Carapichea is native to Central and South America, ranging from Nicaragua south through Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, the Guianas (Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana), and Brazil (including Bahia, Amapá, and Pará states). Species occupy tropical lowland and premontane forest habitats.
History
Ipecacuanha was known to Europe by the mid-17th century, with English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper documenting it in 1653. The first recorded shipment of ipecac root to Europe arrived in Paris in 1672. In 1680, physician Jean Claude Adrien Helvetius demonstrated its effectiveness against dysentery; Louis XIV granted him a monopoly, which was later sold to the French government — the formula was made public in 1688. Syrup of ipecac remained a common over-the-counter emetic and poison treatment until the late 20th century, when it was withdrawn from medical use in the West due to lack of evidence for safety and efficacy.
Cultural Uses
The roots of C. ipecacuanha were the source of syrup of ipecac, a powerful emetic historically used to induce vomiting in poisoning cases. It was also employed as a nauseant, expectorant, and diaphoretic, and prescribed for conditions such as bronchitis. A traditional preparation known as Dover's powder combined ipecac with opium to induce sweating.
Taxonomy
Carapichea belongs to the tribe Psychotrieae within Rubiaceae. Many of its species were originally described under Psychotria and were transferred to Carapichea based on molecular phylogenetic analyses. The genus was first described by Aublet in 1775 (Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Françoise 1: 167, pl. 64), with C. guianensis as the type. 24 species are currently accepted; most were recombined by C.M. Taylor, with additional contributions by L. Andersson, O. Lachenaud, P. Delprete, and others.
