Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz.
Family
Apocynaceae
Synonyms
Ophioxylon serpentinum L.
Vernacular Names
|
English |
Snakewood. |
|
Indonesia |
Pule pandak (Javanese). |
|
Thailand |
Khem daeng (Northern), ra yom (Central), ka yom (Peninsular). |
|
Vietnam |
Ba g[aj]c [aas] d[ooj], ba g[aj]c hoa d[or], ba g[aj]c thu[oos]c. |
Geographical Distributions
Rauvolfia serpentina is found in India, Sri Lanka, Indo-China, southern China (Yunnan), Thailand, northern Peninsular Malaysia, Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores, Timor); cultivated in Pakistan, Nepal, India, Java, Ambon, Vietnam, southern China and Georgia.
Description
Rauvolfia serpentina is a small shrub that can reach up to 0.6(-1) m tall where the prominent tuberous is usually with an unbranched root and usually unbranched slender stem.
The leaves are arranged opposite or 3(-5)-verticillate, oblance-shaped or obovate, and measuring 7-16 cm x 3-9 cm while the petiole is up to 1.5 cm long.
The flowers with narrow cylindrical tube are much longer than the sepal.
The fruits consist of 1-2 spherical drupelets that are united at the base.
Ecology / Cultivation
Rauvolfia serpentina occurs in sunny or shaded places in well-drained rainforests and secondary thickets up to 2100 m altitude, sometimes as a weed in sugar cane fields.
Line Drawing / Photograph
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References
1. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1.