| Rauvolfia serpentina | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Rauvolfia |
| Species: | R. serpentina |
| Binomial name | |
| Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz[1] |
|
Rauvolfia serpentina, or 'snakeroot' or 'sarpagandha' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae.
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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).
Rauwolfia serpentina contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including yohimbine, reserpine, ajmaline, deserpidine, rescinnamine, serpentinine.
The extract of the plant has also been used for millennia in India — Alexander the Great administered this plant to cure his general Ptolemy of a poisoned arrow. It was reported that Mahatma Gandhi took it as a tranquilizer during his lifetime.[2] 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.[3]
It has been used for millennia as an antidote against bites of venomous reptiles.[3]
The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving and woodturning hobbyists.