A tropical American plant containing toxic alkaloid compounds, historically used as an insecticide and a source of the drug veratrine.
From Spanish 'cebadilla,' diminutive of 'cebada' (barley), because the seeds resemble barley grains. The plant is native to Mexico and Central America.
Cevadilla was so poisonous that it was used to make insecticide powders, but indigenous peoples had traditional knowledge about safely using tiny amounts for specific purposes!
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