Rauwolfia serpentina
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| Rauwolfia serpentina | ||||||||||||||
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| Rauwolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz[1] |
Rauwolfia serpentina is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name shégēn mù (蛇根木) or yìndù shémù (印度蛇木).
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.[2]
The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving and woodturning hobbyists.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Module 11: Ayurvedic. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
- ^ Pills for Mental Illness?, TIME Magazine, November 8, 1954
