Botanical Name: - Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz,  Family :- Apocynaceae

Synonyms: - Ophioxylon serpentinum L., Rauvolfia obversa (Miq.) Baill., Rauvolfia  serpentina  var. obversa (Miq.) Bakh.f., Rauvolfia trifoliata (Gaertn.) Baill.

Regional Name: - English :Rauvolfia Root, Serpentina Root, Hindi :Chhotaa Chaand, Dhavalbaruaa, Sanskrit :Nakuli, Candrika, Chandramarah, Urdu : - Asrel, Bengali :Chaandar, Gujrati :Amelpodee, Kannada :Sutranaabhu, Malayalam :Amalpori, Marathi :Adkai, Chandra, Oriya :Dhanbarua, Sanochado, Tamil :Sarppaganti, Telugu :Sarpagandhi.

Part Used :-Roots.

Description :- Sarpagandha grows well in highly acidic and neutral soil. In India, it is seen in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Sikkim and other North East regions. It is also reported in China and South East Asia. Pieces of roots mostly about 8 to 15 cm long and 0.5 to 2 cm in thickness, sub cylindrical, curved, stout, thick and rarely branched; outer surface greyish-yellow to brown with irregular longitudinal fissures; rootlets 0.1mm in diameter; fracture, short, slight odour and bitter taste.

Phytoconstituents: -Rauvolfia contains-Alkaloids, such as Reserpinine, Reserpine, Reserpiline Serpentinine, Serpentine, Ajmalicine, Ajmaline, Ajmalimine, Deserpidine, Indobine, Indobinine,  Rescinnamine, Rescinnamidine and Yohimbine.

AyurvedicProperties :-Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Guna :Laghu, Ruksa, Vipaka :Katu, Virya :Usna, Karma :Dipani, Kaphahara, Mutral, Pacani, Rucya, Nidraprada, Kamavasadaka, Hrdavasadaka, Vatahara, Visaghna,

AyurvedicApplications :-Sula, Anidra, Apasmara, Jvara, Krmiroga, Madaroga, Unmada, Yonisula, Raktavita, Manasaroga, Visucika, Vrana, Bhutabadha, Bhrama.

Medicinal Uses :– Sarpagandha is used to treat of mental disorders, anxiety, psychosis and epilepsy, Schizophrenia, hypochondria, insomnia, hysteria and hypertension, plague, fever, treatment of cataract, intractable skin disorder such as psoriasis, excessive sweating and itching, rheumatism, edema,  intestinal diseases, constipation and dizziness.