Taxon:  Carapichea ipecacuanha (Brot.) L. Andersson



Summary
Genus:
Carapichea
Family:
Rubiaceae
Subfamily:
Rubioideae
Tribe:
Palicoureeae
Nomen number:
435098
Place of publication:
Kew Bull. 57:371.  2002
Verified:
02/06/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
4 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Callicocca ipecacuanha Brot.

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Cephaelis ipecacuanha (Brot.) Willd.
Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cephaelis acuminata H. Karst.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Vascular Plants of the Americas (VPA) Website Tropicos, Botanical Information System at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Andersson, L. 2002. Re-establishment of Carapichea (Rubiaceae, Psychotrieae). Kew Bull. 57:363-374.
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
  6. Burger, W. & C. M. Taylor. 1993. Family 202 Rubiaceae. In: Burger, W. C., ed., Flora costaricensis. 255. Note: as Psychotria ipecacuanha
  7. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Psychotria ipecacuanha
  8. Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
  9. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
  10. Garcia, R. M. A. et al. 2005. Variation in emetine and cephaeline contents in roots of wild ipecac (Psychotria ipecacuanha). Biochem. Syst. & Ecol. 33:233-243. DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2004.08.005. Note: as Psychotria ipecacuanha
  11. Mors, W. T. & C. T. Rizzini. 1966. Useful plants of Brazil. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
  12. Oliveira, L. O. et al. 2010. Clonal diversity and conservation genetics of the medicinal plant Carapichea ipecacuanha (Rubiaceae). Genet. Molec. Biol. 33:86-93.
  13. Santos, C. M. P. P. et al. 2020. Season and shading affect emetine and cephaline production in Carapichea ipecacuanha plants. Pl. Biosyst. 156:51-60. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2020.1832602.
  14. Taylor, C. M. & R. E. Gereau. 2013. The genus Carapichea (Rubiaceae, Psychotrieae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99:100-127. DOI: 10.3417/2011064.
  15. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishipecac  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Germanbrasilianische Brechwurzel as Psychotria ipecacuanha2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Psychotria ipecacuanha
Portugueseipecacuanha as Cephaelis ipecacuanha2Mors, W. T. & C. T. Rizzini. 1966. Useful plants of Brazil. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
Spanishraicilla as Cephaelis ipecacuanha2Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
Swedishkräkrot  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilBahia Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilEspírito Santo Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilGoiás Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilMato Grosso Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilParaná Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilRio de Janeiro Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilRondônia Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilSão Paulo Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Burger, W. & C. M. Taylor. 1993. Family 202 Rubiaceae. In: Burger, W. C., ed., Flora costaricensis. 255. Note: as Psychotria ipecacuanha
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaragua s.e.Taylor, C. M. & R. E. Gereau. 2013. The genus Carapichea (Rubiaceae, Psychotrieae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99:100-127. DOI: 10.3417/2011064.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanama  Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaAntioquia Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaBolívar Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaChocó Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaCórdoba Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaMeta Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia commerciallyOliveira, L. O. et al. 2010. Clonal diversity and conservation genetics of the medicinal plant Carapichea ipecacuanha (Rubiaceae). Genet. Molec. Biol. 33:86-93.
Native
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Nicaragua (s.e.), Panama
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, São Paulo]
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia [Antioquia, Bolívar, Chocó, Córdoba, Meta]
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India (commercially)

Reference(s)
  1. Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis. 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
  2. Burger, W. & C. M. Taylor. 1993. Family 202 Rubiaceae. In: Burger, W. C., ed., Flora costaricensis. 255. Note: as Psychotria ipecacuanha
  3. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
  4. Oliveira, L. O. et al. 2010. Clonal diversity and conservation genetics of the medicinal plant Carapichea ipecacuanha (Rubiaceae). Genet. Molec. Biol. 33:86-93.
  5. Taylor, C. M. & R. E. Gereau. 2013. The genus Carapichea (Rubiaceae, Psychotrieae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 99:100-127. DOI: 10.3417/2011064.
  6. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama. Note: = Cephaelis ipecacuanha
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentemetineFarnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentharvested from the wild in BrazilOliveira, L. O. et al. 2010. Clonal diversity and conservation genetics of the medicinal plant Carapichea ipecacuanha (Rubiaceae). Genet. Molec. Biol. 33:86-93.
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentsource of alkaloids emetine and cephaelineGarcia, R. M. A. et al. 2005. Variation in emetine and cephaeline contents in roots of wild ipecac (Psychotria ipecacuanha). Biochem. Syst. & Ecol. 33:233-243. DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2004.08.005. Note: as Psychotria ipecacuanha
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=435098. Accessed 12 May 2026.