Sarpagandha / Indian Snakeroot
Rauvolfia serpentina
Also known as Rauvolfia Root, Serpentine Wood, Serpentine
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- April-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Rauvolfia serpentina
- Genus
- Rauvolfia
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- Tropical Himalayas, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa
- Flowering & fruiting
- April-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Sarpagandha सर्पगंधा, Sarapagandha,सर्पगन्धा sarpagandha
- Nepali
- सर्पगन्धा, चाँदमरुवा
- Bengali
- সর্পগন্ধা
- Tamil
- சர்பகந்தி
- Telugu
- సర్పగంధ
- Kannada
- ಸೂತ್ರನಾಭಿ Sootranaabhi, ಶಿವನಾಭಿ Shivanaabhi, ಹಡಕಿ Hadaki, ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧಾ
- Malayalam
- സർപ്പഗന്ധ, സർപ്പഗന്ധി, അമൽപ്പൊരി
- Marathi
- सर्पगंधा
- Gujarati
- સર્પગંધા
- Odia
- ପାତାଳ ଗରୁଡ଼
- Punjabi
- ਸਰਪਗੰਧਾ
- Assamese
- সৰ্পগন্ধা
Sarpagandha in India
This small shrub, known as Sarpagandha सर्पगंधा (Hindi), சர்பகந்தி (Tamil), సర్పగంధ (Telugu), ಸೂತ್ರನಾಭಿ Sootranaabhi (Kannada), സർപ്പഗന്ധ (Malayalam), सर्पगंधा (Marathi), is one of the best-known plants in Ayurvedic tradition. Rauvolfia serpentina is found across Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, typically in the shade of moist forest.
Uses
Its root has a long history of traditional Ayurvedic use and was historically significant in early pharmacological research into its natural compounds — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim; sarpagandha should never be self-administered without expert guidance.
How to Identify Sarpagandha
A small, shrubby perennial with whorls of three to four glossy, elliptic leaves around the stem. Clusters of small white to pinkish flowers with a slender tube appear at the branch tips, followed by small fruit that ripens from red to shiny black in pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Indian Snakeroot called in different Indian languages?
- Sarpagandha सर्पगंधा (Hindi); சர்பகந்தி (Tamil); సర్పగంధ (Telugu); ಸೂತ್ರನಾಭಿ Sootranaabhi (Kannada); സർപ്പഗന്ധ (Malayalam); सर्पगंधा (Marathi); সর্পগন্ধা (Bengali); સર્પગંધા (Gujarati); ପାତାଳ ଗରୁଡ଼ (Odia); ਸਰਪਗੰਧਾ (Punjabi).
- Why is sarpagandha historically significant?
- Its root compounds were the subject of significant early pharmacological research, though any use today should only be under expert medical guidance, not self-administered.
- Where does the name 'sarpagandha' come from?
- It's Sanskrit for 'snake-scented' or 'snake root', referring either to its root's odour or its traditional folk association with snakebite remedies.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Sarpagandha belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Apocynaceae
View all Apocynaceae →Sources: GBIF — Rauvolfia serpentina (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Rauvolfia serpentina (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)