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Useful Tropical Plants

Rauvolfia nitida

Jacq.

Apocynaceae


The generic name is often mis-spelt as Rauwolfia[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Rauvolfia angustifolia Salisb.

Rauvolfia lanceolata A.DC.

Rauvolfia nitidissima Steud.

Rauvolfia pulaparia Roxb. ex Sm.

Common Name:

Rauvolfia nitida

General Information

Rauvolfia nitida is an evergreen shrub or a tree with an open, rounded crown; it can grow 2 - 15 metres tall. The bole can be up to 45cm in diameter[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is sometimes planted near the coast to provide shelter from the wind.

Known Hazards

The fruits are reputedly poisonous[
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Botanical References

447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

C. America - Panama; southern N. America - Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba to Trinidad.

Habitat

Coastal and limestone forests and thickets[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
]. Sandy and stony soil, on hills, in the forests and in pastures, at elevations from sea-level to 600 metres[
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height9.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Probably requires a sunny position[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
The plant flowers and produces fruit almost all year round[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the bark and leaves has been used as a gargle and internally administered in intestinal disorders and in syphilitic infections[
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

The bark is used as an unguent on skin eruptions[
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is an efficient windbreak when planted near the sea shore[
746
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 43
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1956
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication, it includes a treatment of the genus Rauvolfia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

The heartwood is a clear yellow; the sapwood light brown. The wood is light in weight and hard. It is used for posts and has been suggested for making furniture and musical instruments[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Rauvolfia+nitida>

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