About Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill.
Rauvolfia verticillata grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching up to 5 meters (16 feet) in height. Its bark is yellowish black or brown. Inflorescences can bear up to 35 or more flowers, and the flowers have a white or pinkish corolla. When ripe, its fruits are whitish purple, ovoid in shape, and measure up to 1.4 centimeters (0.6 inches) long. This species is native to China, Taiwan, and tropical Asia ranging from India eastward to the Philippines. It grows in a wide range of habitats, including forests and savannas, at altitudes from sea level up to 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). It is used in traditional Chinese medicine, including as a treatment for snakebite, malaria, typhus, and hypertension. The root may be used locally as a sedative, and the leaves are used to treat wounds.
