Rauwolfia serpentina

Rauvolfia serpentina, or 'snakeroot' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae.

Medicinal uses

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name shégēn mù (Chinese :蛇根木) or yìndù shémù (Chinese :印度蛇木).

Rauvolfia serpentina contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including ajmaline, deserpidine, rescinnamine, serpentinine.

The extract of the plant has also been used for millennia in India — it was reported that Mahatma Gandhi took it as a tranquilizer during his lifetime. It, or a compound which it contains called reserpine, is used to treat high blood pressure and mental disorders including schizophrenia, and was particularly popular for that purpose in the West from 1954 to 1957.

It has been used for millenia as an antidote against bites of reptiles.

Etymology

The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving and woodturning hobbyists.

Translation

The phrase "Rauwolfia serpentina" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Spanish, Italian.

Translation(s) in other languages: Catalan: Rauvòlfia, Hindi: सर्पगन्धा, Malayalam: സര്‍പ്പഗന്ധി, Japanese: インドジャボク, Russian: Раувольфия змеиная, Chinese: 蛇根木.