A North American shrub or small tree (Rhamnus purshiana) whose bark is used medicinally as a strong laxative.
Spanish cascara (bark/shell), from cascara = cáscara, from Latin quassicare. Used for the tree because its bark is the medicinal part.
For centuries, people used cascara bark as nature's laxative—it was so effective that it became an FDA-approved ingredient, and people would harvest bark strips directly from wild trees!
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