Bark
Pale grey, smooth, lenticelled bark on an unbranched or sparingly branched semi-woody stem that bleeds a thin milky latex when cut.
Rauvolfia serpentina
Syn. Ophioxylon serpentinum
IUCN Red List
Near Threatened
(NT)
Local name
- Indian Snakeroot (English)
- Sarpagandha (Hindi)
- Chandrike (Kannada)
Shrub type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Apocynaceae
1m
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Pale grey, smooth, lenticelled bark on an unbranched or sparingly branched semi-woody stem that bleeds a thin milky latex when cut.
Flower
Small, tubular flowers (~1.5 cm long) featuring a bright pinkish-red calyx tube topped with 5 spreading, pure white petals, arranged in dense terminal clusters.
Fruit / Seeds
Small, round, fleshy drupes (~6 mm) growing in pairs, transitioning from green to a striking glossy purplish-black when fully ripe, holding a single hard seed.
Did you know?
It has long been valued in traditional medicine for its calming properties. Its snake-like roots inspired its name, while folklore claims that mongooses chew the plant before fighting cobras, associating it with protection against snakebites.
Distribution
Indian Subcontinent to China, W. Malesia, Hainan, Marianas