A genus of tropical American plants, including the ipecac plant, valued for their medicinal alkaloids.
From Greek kephale meaning 'head,' possibly referring to the flower's appearance or shape. The genus was named by botanists in the 18th century and contains several species with medicinal properties.
The ipecac plant (Cephaelis ipecacuanha) is a rainforest plant that became so valuable that it sparked actual botanical espionage—European powers sent plant hunters to steal seeds from Brazil in the 1700s because controlling the supply meant controlling medicine!
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