The Collaborative International Dictionary
Rhamnus \Rham"nus\, n. [NL., from Gr. "ra`mnos a kind of prickly shrub; cf. L. rhamnos.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubs and small trees; buckthorn. The California Rhamnus Purshianus and the European Rhamnus catharticus are used in medicine. The latter is used for hedges.
Cascara sagrada \Cas"ca*ra sa*gra"da\ (k[.a]s"k[.a]*r[.a] s[.a]*gr[aum]"d[.a]). [Sp.] Holy bark; the bark of the California buckthorn ( Rhamnus Purshianus), used as a mild cathartic or laxative; -- called also cascara.
chittamwood \chittamwood\ n.
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a shrubby tree of the U. S. Pacific coast ( Rhamnus purshianus or Rhamnus purshiana), whose bark is the cascara sagrada, used as a mild cathartic or laxative.
Syn: cascara, cascara buckthorn, bearberry, bearwood, chittimwood, Rhamnus purshianus.
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a deciduous tree of SE U.S. and Mexico.
Syn: false buckthorn, chittimwood, shittimwood, black haw, Bumelia lanuginosa.
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a shrubby tree of southern U.S. ( Cotinus obovatus) having large plumes of feathery flowers resembling puffs of smoke; -- called also American smoke tree.
Syn: American smokewood, Cotinus americanus, Cotinus obovatus.
Usage examples of "rhamnus purshianus".
The Californian Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshianus), known more commonly as Cascara Sagrada, is a nearly-allied shrub growing in the United States, from northern Idaho westward to the Pacific Ocean.