Carapichea ipecacuanha aka Ipecac

Carapichea ipecacuanha, or ipecac, is in the Rubiaceae family. This small shrub keeps its leaves all year. It grows beneath the roof of rainforest trees. Its home range runs from southeastern Nicaragua to Brazil. Records list Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. They also list several states in Brazil. It grows in wet tropical lands, where shade shapes its home. People grow it for medicine. They also gather plants from the wild.

The plant grows to about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] tall. It spreads to about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] as well. It has woody growth and keeps its leaves year-round. Kew calls its form a subshrub. Plants For A Future says it grows at a moderate rate. Its small size does not make it easy to grow. Useful Tropical Plants notes problems outside rainforest conditions. Trials in southeast Asia have had only limited success.

To grow, ipecac needs shade, warmth, moisture, and humid air. It can grow in deep shade or lighter woodland shade. Give it soil rich in humus that drains well. Keep the soil moist, rather than letting it dry out. Sources list sand, loam, and clay as suitable soil types. The plant also tolerates very acid to mildly alkaline soil. Its preferred minimum heat is 59 to 64°F [15–18°C]. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. Warmth and moist air thus place key limits on growing it.

The roots account for most of its recorded uses. Peoples of South America have used it as medicine for centuries. Sources list use for coughs, bronchitis, and fever. They also list use for amoebic dysentery. The roots hold isoquinoline alkaloids, tannins, and glycosides. These compounds act strongly on the stomach and airways. The roots also supplied a syrup that makes people vomit. These records show uses as medicine, not safe home treatment. Its main recorded value is as medicine, not food.

The supplied sources list no known uses as food. Taking too much can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Doses above those used as medicine can be toxic. Its past use as medicine does not mean eating it is safe. Plants For A Future lists no other uses or weed potential. Growers can raise plants from seed or root cuttings. They can also use greenwood cuttings in sandy compost.