Tuesday, 6 October 2026

Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz

Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz

raau-FO-feeah -- named in honour of Leonhard Rauwolf [↗], German physician, botanist, and traveller ... Dave's Botanary
ser-pen-TEE-nuh -- referring to a snake ... Dave's Botanary
commonly known as: Indian snakeroot, insanity herb • Ahom: সৰ্পগন্ধা sarpagandha • Assamese: আৰাচন তিতা arachon-tita, চান্দৰ তিতা chandor tita, চন্দ্ৰমূল chondromul, গুমুনি gumuni, সৰ্পগন্ধা xorpogondha • Bengali: চন্দ্রা chandra, কুলেন kulein, সর্পগন্ধা sarpagandha • Birhor: दारु जिकि पोटा daru jiki pota • Bodo: चान्दो गुखा chando gukha • Bru: chandoma • Chepang: chyarangro • Dimasa: अरगमगजाओ argamgajao • Dogri: सप्पगंधी sappa-gandhi • Garo: dougrikme • Gujarati: નોળવેલ મોટી nolvel moti, સર્પગંધા sarpagandha • Hajong: চান্দো তিতা chando tita • Haryanvi: सर्पगंधा sarpagandha • Hindi: चंद्रभागा chandrabhaga, छोटा चांद chhota-chand, नाकुली nakuli, नाकुलीकंद nakulikanda, रास्ना rasna, सर्पगंधा sarpagandha • Hmar: thingzungkha • Kachari: बिर्शी-वाथी birshi-wathi • Kannada: ಚಂದ್ರಿಕೆ chandrike, ಗರುಡಪಾತಾಳ garudapaathaalaa, ಹಡಕಿ hadaki, ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧ sarpagandha, ಶಿವನಾಭಿ shivanaabhi, ಸೂತ್ರನಾಭಿ sutranaabhi • Karbi: jowansu, methan krokdi • Khasi: todong-pait-parao • Kol: छेडाबाग chhedabag • Konkani: अडकी adaki, अटकी atki, मोटवी आलूस motvi alus, सर्पगंधा sarpagandha • Kuki: karti • Malayalam: അമൽപ്പൊരി amalpori, ചുവന്നവിൽപുരി chuvannavilpuri, സർപ്പഗന്ധി sarpagandhi, താളൂന്നി thalunni, വണ്ടുവാഴ vanduvazha • Manipuri: ꯆꯟꯗ꯭ꯔꯚꯥꯒꯥ chandrabhaga • Marathi: हडकी hadaki, नाकुली nakuli, सर्पगंधा sarpagandha • Mech: खारु-खु kharu-khu • Mishing: আৰাচোৰি তিতা arachori tita • Mizo: rullturzung, thi-sen-sang-damdawi, thingzungkha • Mundari: सुपुरोलिद supurolid • Nepali: चाँद मरुवा chaand maruwaa, सर्पगन्धा sarpagandhaa • Nyishi: sarpagandha • Odia: ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରିକା chandrika, ଗନ୍ଧରାସ୍ନା gandharasna, ମାର୍ଜାରୀ marjari, ନାକୁଳୀ nakuli, ପାତାଳ ଗରୁଡ଼ patala garuda, ସହଦେବା sahadeba, ସର୍ପଗନ୍ଧା sarpagandha, ସୁଗନ୍ଧା sugandha • Pahari: सर्पगंधा sarpagandha • Punjabi: ਸਰਪਗੰਧਾ sarpagandha • Rabha: চান্দো তিতা chando tita, টুকুৰ-চালিমাই tukur-salimai • Rajasthani: सर्पगन्धा sarpagandha • Rangpuri: চান্দো তিতা chando tita • Sanskrit: चन्द्रिका chandrika, नाकुली nakuli, पातालगरुडी patalagarudi, सर्पगन्धा sarpagandha • Santali: ᱪᱟᱱᱫᱚ ᱜᱚᱫ chandu god, ᱯᱟᱛᱟᱞ ᱜᱟᱹᱨᱩᱲ patal garur • Tamil: சோவன்னமில்பொரி covannamilpori, சூத்திரநாபி cuttiranapi • Telugu: దుంప రసాయన dumpa rasna, కొరి వేరు kori veru, పాతాళ గంధి pathala gandhi, పాతాళ గని pathala gani, పాతాళ గరుడ pathala garuda, సర్ప గంధి sarpagandhi • Tharu: बरुवा baruwa • Tibetan: ན་གུ་ལ na gu la • Tulu: ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧೊ sarpagandho • Urdu: چھوٹا چاند chhota chand, راسنا rasna, سرپگندھا sarp-gandha, ناکلي nakuli

known for / parts made use of: the roots and root bark, the leaves, the rhizomes and stems ... compiled from the web
botanical names: Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz ... homotypic synonyms: Ophioxylon serpentinum L. ... and more at POWO, retrieved October 03, 2026
TAXONOMIC NOTE
Rauvolfia & Rauwolfia
While strict botanical taxonomy dictates that Rauvolfia (with a "v") is the only validly published genus name according to modern rules of nomenclature, Rauwolfia (with a "w") remains deeply embedded in commercial trade and medical literature. This creates an interesting parallel usage where the taxonomically correct spelling is often overshadowed by its unauthorized, "corrected" counterpart. Because early pharmaceutical research and the landmark discovery of reserpine were heavily documented under the "w" variant, scientific and medical journals continue to favour it, allowing an orthographic error to command a larger following than the officially recognized botanical name. ... compiled from the web.
Bibliography / etymology / notes
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about "where" could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.
~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
Indian snakeroot, insanity herb
~~~~~ AHOM ~~~~~
written in: Ahom, Latin, Assamese ... mainly used by priests and scholars for religious and educational purposes; spoken in: erstwhile Ahom kingdom (some part in present day Assam) ... other names for this language: Tai-Ahom
সৰ্পগন্ধা sarpagandha
~~~~~ ASSAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (অসমীয়া) ... spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
আৰাচন তিতা arachon-tita
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
চান্দৰ তিতা chandor tita
  • Many thanks to late Brahmananda Patiri for providing the Assamese name of this plant ... facebook
চন্দ্ৰমূল chondromul
  • Many thanks to Monoj Nath for help with this name ... facebook
গুমুনি gumuni
  • Candrakānta abhidhāna : Asamiyi sabdara butpatti aru udaharanere Asamiya-Ingraji dui bhashara artha thaka abhidhana. 2nd ed. Guwahati : Guwahati Bisbabidyalaya, 1962.
সৰ্পগন্ধা xorpogondha
  • XOBDO - Your gateway to multilingual knowledge and resources ... (accessed: October 03, 2026)
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) ... spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
চন্দ্রা chandra
কুলেন kulein
সর্পগন্ধা sarpagandha
~~~~~ BIRHOR ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (बिरहोर) ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharastra, Bihar ... spoken by: the Birhor or Birhul people
दारु जिकि पोटा daru jiki pota
  • Anderson, G.D.S, & Jora, B., Lakra, S., Birhor, A., Birhor, M. Gomango, O., Horo, L. 2026. Birhor Living Dictionary. Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. ... (accessed: October 05, 2026)
~~~~~ BODO ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari or Latin ... spoken in: Assam ... other names for this language: Boro
चान्दो गुखा chando gukha
~~~~~ BRU ~~~~~
written in: Roman, Bengali, Anji (indigenous script, their sacred heritage) ... spoken in: Tripura, Mizoram and Assam ... other names for this language: Kau Bru / Kaubru / Riang ... spoken by: Reang / Riang / Bru
chandoma
  • List of Ethno-medicinal plants in Mizoram state with uses - Ministry of Ayush ... (downloaded: Feb 9, 2022)
~~~~~ CHEPANG ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (च्योःबाङ्) ... spoken in: Indo-Nepal Terai (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh), Eastern Himalayas (Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal) ... spoken by: the Chepang (or Chewang, Chewang, Chybang, Kachharge, Praja, Tsepang) people
chyarangro
~~~~~ DIMASA ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese, Devanagari, Latin ... spoken in: Assam, Nagaland ... other names for this language: Hill Kachari ... spoken by: Dimasa people
अरगमगजाओ argamgajao
~~~~~ DOGRI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (डोगरी) ... spoken in: Jammu & Kashmir ... spoken by the Dogras
सप्पगंधी sappa-gandhi
  • Many thanks to OM Prakash Vidyarthi for help with this name ... facebook
~~~~~ GARO ~~~~~
written in: Roman, Bengali-Assamese, A-Chik Tok'birim ... spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
dougrikme
~~~~~ GUJARATI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) ... spoken in: Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
નોળવેલ મોટી nolvel moti, સર્પગંધા sarpagandha
~~~~~ HAJONG ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese (হাজং), Latin ... spoken in: Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal
চান্দো তিতা chando tita
~~~~~ HARYANVI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हरियाणवी or हरयाणवी) ... spoken in: Haryana, Delhi
सर्पगंधा sarpagandha
  • Haryana Forest Flora - A Comprehensive Database of Ligneous Plants of Haryana (India) ... (accessed: October 05, 2026)
~~~~~ HINDI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हिन्दी) ... spoken in: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
चंद्रभागा chandrabhaga, नाकुलीकंद nakulikanda
छोटा चांद chhota-chand, सर्पगंधा sarpagandha
नाकुली nakuli, रास्ना rasana
~~~~~ HMAR ~~~~~
written in: Roman (Hmar Hawrawp) ... spoken in: Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya
thingzungkha
~~~~~ KACHARI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese, Devanagari, Latin ... spoken in: Assam, Nagaland ... other names for this language: Cachari, Plains Kachari (Boro or Bara) and Hill Kachari (Dimasa)
बिर्शी-वाथी birshi-wathi
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) ... spoken in: Karnataka
ಚಂದ್ರಿಕೆ chandrike (or ಚಂದ್ರಕ chandraka), ಶಿವನಾಭಿ shivanaabhi, ಸೂತ್ರನಾಭಿ sutranaabhi
ಗರುಡಪಾತಾಳ garudapaathaalaa (or ಗರುಡಪಾತಾಳಿ garudapaathaali)
ಹಡಕಿ hadaki
ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧ sarpagandha (or ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧಿ sarpagandhi)
~~~~~ KARBI ~~~~~
written in: Roman ... spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland ... other names for this language: Mikir or Arleng
jowansu
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
methan krokdi
~~~~~ KHASI ~~~~~
written in: Latin (Khasi alphabet), Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
todong-pait-parao
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
~~~~~ KOL ~~~~~
written in: Warang Chiti (or Barang Kshiti, Varang Kshiti), Devanagari ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal ... spoken by: Kol people
छेडाबाग chhedabag
  • Das, T. K. (2023, January). "Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Jharkhand" Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre, Eastern Region (RCFC-ER), National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)
~~~~~ KONKANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (कोंकणी) / Kannada (ಕೊಂಕಣಿ) / Malayalam (കൊങ്കണി) / Perso-Arabic (کونکنی) / Romi (Konknni) ... spoken in: Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat
अडकी adaki (or हडकी hadaki)
  • Glimpses of Biodiversity in Panaji - Goa State Biodiversity Board | Corporation of City of Panaji
  • V D Vartak (1966) - Enumeration of plants from Gomantak India with a note on botanical excursions to the Castlerock area :: Chapter 5 :: Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
अटकी atki, मोटवी आलूस motvi alus (or मोटवी आलूश motvi alush)
सर्पगंधा sarpagandha
  • Glimpses of Biodiversity in Panaji - Goa State Biodiversity Board | Corporation of City of Panaji
~~~~~ KUKI ~~~~~
written in: Roman ... spoken in: Manipur, Assam, Nagaland ... other names for this language:Thado, Thado-Pao, Thado-Ubiphei, Thaadou Kuki
karti
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) ... spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
അമൽപ്പൊരി amalpori
ചുവന്നവിൽപുരി chuvannavilpuri
സർപ്പഗന്ധി sarpagandhi
താളൂന്നി thalunni
വണ്ടുവാഴ vanduvazha
~~~~~ MANIPURI ~~~~~
written in: Meiteilon (ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ), Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Manipur ... other names for this language: Meetei
ꯆꯟꯗ꯭ꯔꯚꯥꯒꯥ chandrabhaga
  • Flowers of India ... (accessed: October 03, 2026)
  • Singh S. Sukumar. The Economic Plants of Manipur and Their Uses, Manipur, 2006, 2009.
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) ... spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
हडकी hadaki, सर्पगंधा sarpagandha
नाकुली nakuli
  • for Ophioxylon serpentinum L. ... Molesworth, J. T. (James Thomas). A dictionary, Marathi and English. 2d ed., rev. and enl. Bombay: Printed for government at the Bombay Education Society's press, 1857.
~~~~~ MECH ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari, Roman ... spoken by: Mech people (Bodos of north West Bengal)
खारु-खु kharu-khu
  • U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, R N De - Flora of Assam - Vol III
~~~~~ MISHING ~~~~~
written in: Latin, Assamese, Devanagari ... spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh ... other names for this language: Mising, Plains Miri
আৰাচোৰি তিতা arachori tita
~~~~~ MIZO ~~~~~
written in: Latin, Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Mizoram ... other names for this language: Lushai, Duhlian
rullturzung
thi-sen-sang-damdawi
thingzungkha
~~~~~ MUNDARI ~~~~~
written in: Mundari Bani, Odia, Devanagari, Bengali, Latin ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Odisha
सुपुरोलिद supurolid
~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नेपाली) ... spoken in: Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir
चाँद मरुवा chaand maruwaa, सर्पगन्धा sarpagandhaa
~~~~~ NYISHI ~~~~~
written in: Latin ... spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam ... spoken by the Daffla (or Dafla) tribe, now known as Nyishi tribe ... other names for this language: Nishi, Nisi, Nishang, Nissi, Nyising, Leil, Aya, Akang, Bangni-Bangru, Solung
sarpagandha
~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~
written in: Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) ... spoken in: Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରିକା chandrika
ପାତାଳ ଗରୁଡ଼ patala garuda
ଗନ୍ଧରାସ୍ନା gandharasna, ମାର୍ଜାରୀ marjari, ନାକୁଳୀ nakuli, ସହଦେବା sahadeba, ସୁଗନ୍ଧା sugandha
ସର୍ପଗନ୍ଧା sarpagandha
~~~~~ PAHARI (or PAHADI) ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (पहाड़ी), Perso-Arabic (پہاڑی) ... variety of languages, dialects and language groups, spoken in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand
सर्पगंधा sarpagandha
~~~~~ PUNJABI ~~~~~
written in: Gurmukhi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) ... spoken in: Punjab
ਸਰਪਗੰਧਾ sarpagandha
  • Ajaypal Singh and Renuka Rani (2018). Medicinal Herbs of Punjab (India). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 10(2): 10-27(2018). ... (downloaded: Mar 16, 2025)
~~~~~ RABHA ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (ৰাভা), Bengali, English ... spoken in: Assam, Nagaland, West Bengal, Meghalaya
চান্দো তিতা chando tita, টুকুৰ-চালিমাই tukur-salimai
~~~~~ RAJASTHANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (राजस्थानी) ... spoken in: Rajasthan
सर्पगन्धा sarpagandha
~~~~~ RANGPURI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese (রংপুরী, কোচ-ৰাজবংশী, দেশী), Devanagari (रंगपुरी) ... spoken in: Bangladesh, north Bengal, lower Assam ... other names for this language: Anchalit, Bahe, Deshi, Koch-Rajbongshi
চান্দো তিতা chando tita
~~~~~ SANSKRIT ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (संस्कृतम्) ... used all over India by priests and scholars
चन्द्रिका chandrika
  • Learn Sanskrit - पठत संस्कृतम् - शब्दकोशः
नाकुली nakuli, पातालगरुडी patalagarudi, सर्पगन्धा sarpagandha
  • Learn Sanskrit - पठत संस्कृतम् - शब्दकोशः
~~~~~ SANTALI ~~~~~
written in: Ol Chiki (ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ), Bengali (সাঁওতালী), Odia (ସାନ୍ତାଳୀ), Devanagari (सान्ताली), Roman ... spoken in: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha
ᱪᱟᱱᱫᱚ ᱜᱚᱫ chandu god
  • Anderson, G.D.S, & Jora, B., Lakra, S., Birhor, A., Birhor, M. Gomango, O., Horo, L. 2026. Birhor Living Dictionary. Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. ... (accessed: October 05, 2026)
ᱯᱟᱛᱟᱞ ᱜᱟᱹᱨᱩᱲ patal garur
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) ... spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
சோவன்னமில்பொரி covannamilpori, சூத்திரநாபி cuttiranapi
  • University of Madras. Tamil lexicon. [Madras], University of Madras, 1924-1936.
~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~
written in: Telugu ( తెలుగు) ... spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
దుంప రసాయన dumpa rasna, కొరి వేరు kori veru, పాతాళ గంధి pathala gandhi, పాతాళ గని pathala gani, పాతాళ గరుడ pathala garuda, సర్ప గంధి sarpagandhi
~~~~~ THARU ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (थारु) ... spoken in: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ... spoken by: the Tharu community ... pronounced in Hindi as: Tharuva (Hindi: थरुवा)
बरुवा baruwa
~~~~~ TIBETAN ~~~~~
written in: Tibetan ... spoken in: Tibet, Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bhutan
ན་གུ་ལ na gu la
~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~
written in: Tigalari (Tulu) was used for writing Vedic texts in Sanskrit, Kannada (ತುಳು), Malayalam (തുളു) ... spoken in: Karnataka, north Kerala
ಸರ್ಪಗಂಧೊ sarpagandho
~~~~~ URDU ~~~~~
written in: Urdu (اردو) ... spoken in: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
چھوٹا چاند chhota chand, راسنا rasana, سرپگندھا sarp-gandha, ناکلي nakuli
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
Andaman islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Lakshadweep islands, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
~~~~~ Created on: 13:13 03-10-2026 ¦ Last updated: 21:46 06-10-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~
Apocynaceae perennial medicinal shrub "Rauvolfia serpentina" "Rauwolfia serpentina" "Ophioxylon serpentinum" "Indian snakeroot" "insanity herb"
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Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz

raau-FO-feeah -- named in honour of Leonhard Rauwolf [↗] , German physician, botanist, and traveller ... Dave's Botanary ser-pen-T...

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