The generic name is often mis-spelt as Rauwolfia[].

Common Name:

General Information

Rauvolfia tetraphylla is usually a much-branched shrub growing up to 1 metre tall, but sometimes becoming a small tree up to 4 metres tall[]. The plant contains a copious white latex[].
The plant is often gathered from the wild for local medicinal use and as the source of a dyestuff and ink. It has been introduced into India, China and Vietnam where it has been experimentally cultivated as a substitute for R. Serpentaria in medicinal use[, ]. It is grown as a commercial source of the alkaloid reserpine, used in allopathic medicine[].

Known Hazards

The fruit is generally considered to be poisonous[].

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Peru, Colombia, Colombia, Venezuela and French Guiana, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Wet to dry thickets, often in second growth or in waste ground or old fields, usually at elevations below 500 metres, but also extending to 2,000 metres in Guatemala[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun to partial shade, preferring a rich, well-drained soil. The plant is known to flourish equally well in much-exposed, sunny, sandy soils near the seashore and also in wet and marshy, shady grasslands at elevations of about 2,000 metres[].
The plant can commence flowering in its first year from seed[]. It can flower and fruit almost all year round[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The latex, roots, leaves, bark and fruits are all used in traditional medicine in S. America[]. The roots are frequently used in India as a substitute of Rauvolfia serpentina for medicinal purposes[].

The latex in the plant is said to be cathartic, diuretic, emetic and expectorant[, ]. It is used for treating dropsy and various other diseases[, ]. It is applied to granulated eyelids[].

The plant is commonly used in the treatment of malaria in Guatemala, where it is also one of the reputed remedies for snake bites[].

The plant contains two alkaloids, to which the names Chalcupine A and B have been given[].
The plant is a good source of the alkaloid reserpine, which is used in making allopathic medicines. It is harvested commercially for this purpose[].
The roots yield the alkaloid deserpidine, which is an antihypertensive and tranquilizer[].

Other Uses

A black dye is obtained from the fruit[].
The juice from the fruit is used as a substitute for ink[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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