DRUGS 219 



elliptical, thick, leathery leaves, and white flowers in terminal 

 cymes. The fruit is large, round, and yellow and contains flat 

 gray seeds from which the alkaloid strychnin is obtained. The 

 seeds yield i to ^Y^ per cent, of strychnin and about an equal 

 amount of the alkaloid brucine. In the Philippines it has been 

 found that the seeds of S. ignatii also yield strychnine. 



CXfBEBS 



The climbing perennial pepper (Piper cubeba), native of 

 Borneo, Java, and Sumatra, bears diecious flowers in close 

 spikes and berries on long pedicels. The unripe fruit in a 

 dried condition is the official cubeb. The plant is propagated 

 by cuttings and the cultural conditions required by cubebs are 

 the same as those practiced in the cultivation of pepper. The 

 world's supply of cubebs comes largely froni Java and Su- 

 matra. The material has frequently been adulterated with other 

 species of Piper. The fruit contains from lo to 15 per cent, of 

 a volatile oil, which is further discussed under oils. 



IPECACUANHA 



The ipecac plant (Psychotria ipecacuanha) is a small per- 

 ennial shrub, native of Brazil, with creeping stems and monili- 

 form or variously twisted roots. From a horizontal root- 

 stock numerous fibrous, capillary, or thick roots issue. These 

 roots contain a white parenchyma and are covered with a 

 brown epidermis. The leaves are smooth, entire, obovate, and 

 pointed. The plant grows generally throughout the coast of 

 Brazil and inland up to rather high altitudes. Most of the 

 ipecac of commerce comes from the province of Matto Grosso. 

 The ipecac plant is propagated largely by seed or by sprouts 

 from pieces of roots which may be left in the soil. When the 

 roots attain full size they are dug and dried in the sun. The 

 dried roots are the official ipecac. Under cultivation the yield 



