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Useful Tropical Plants

Rauvolfia volkensii

(K.Schum.) Stapf

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 oreogiton Markgr.

Rauvolfia volkensii Engl.

Tabernaemontana volkensii K.Schum.

Common Name:

Rauvolfia volkensii
Ripe fruit
Photograph by: TanzaniaPlantCollaboration
Creative Commons License
Rauvolfia volkensii Rauvolfia volkensii Rauvolfia volkensii

General Information

Rauvolfia volkensii is a shrub or a tree with spreading, sometimes drooping branchlets; it can grow from 1 - 5 metres tall[
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

Although we have seen no specific information for this species, most if not all members of this genus contain poisonous alkaloids[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Botanical References

515
Title
Flora of Tropical Africa Vol 1 - 8
Publication
 
Author
Var
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
L.Reeve & Co.; Ashford, Kent.
Year
1868 - 1917
ISBN
 
Description
Very little information on habitat, range and uses, but gives good descriptions of the plants. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.

Range

East tropical Africa - northeastern Tanzania.

Habitat

Found at elevations from 900 - 2,100 metres[
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height3.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the root and bark is taken as an infusion to treat snakebites and gonorrhoea, and also to increase lactation in nursing mothers[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

The principal alkaloids in the roots are reserpiline (0.15%) and ajmaline (0.08%); the reserpine content in the roots is very low[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-10. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Rauvolfia+volkensii>

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