Rauwolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurtz. - Flickr - lalithamba

Description:

Summary[edit] Description: Family: Apocyanaceae Local name(Telugu) patalangi, Sarpa gandhi. It was named as "Rauwolfia" in honour of D.H.Rauwolf of 16th century famous doctor of Germany, and "serpentina" because the roots look like a serpent. Distribution: Found only in cultivation, completely extinct in wild.It is in red list and notified as an endangerd species by BSI.It is included in Appendix II of CITES. Trading of roots is banned. A glabrous shrub, leaves 3- at each node, lanceolate, acute, main nerves distant and oblique;whorled; Flowers in corymbose cymes on single peduncle. Pedicels and calyx are red , corolla white, cylindric, 1.5 to 2 cm long; stamens 5 included, anthers small, filaments very short; ovary of 2 connate carpels; fruit 2 connate drupes, purplish black. Root is used as medicine;The famous drug reserpine is extracted from the root bark of the plant. Because of indicriminate exploitation with out any replacement measures the plants were disappeared in wild. It is photographed in a garden in Nellore district. Date: 11 July 2008, 12:54. Source: Rauwolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurtz.. Author: Lalithamba from India.