[kas-kair-uh] 
| a buckthorn, Rhamnus purshiana, of the Pacific coast of the U.S., having finely toothed leaves and flowers in umbels and yielding cascara sagrada. |
| cas·car·a (kā-skār'ə) n. A buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana) native to northwest North America, the bark of which is the source of cascara sagrada. [Spanish cáscara, bark, from cascar, to break off, from Vulgar Latin *quassicāre, from Latin quassāre, frequentative of quatere, to shake; see kwēt- in Indo-European roots.] |