Rauvolfia micrantha

Critically endangered
.
Rauvolfia micrantha Hook. fil., Fl. Brit. India 3: 633 1882. (syn: Rauvolfia indosinensis Pichon; Rauvolfia littoralis Pierre ex Pit.; Rauvolfia membranifolia Kerr; Rauvolfia vietnamensis Lý);
.
SW. India, Indo-China: Cambodia, India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam as per POWO;
.
Common name: Small Flowered Snake Root
.

Shrubs, to 1.5 m high; branches slender, glabrous. Leaves 8-13 x 2-5 cm, elliptic, membranous, abruptly acuminate at both ends; lateral nerves to 12 pairs; petiole 1 cm long. Flowers in axillary long-peduncled congested cymes; sepals 1.5 mm long, triangular, acute, basely connate; corolla white with reddish at throat, 8 mm long, glabrous, lobes ovate, acute. Capsule 7 x 5 mm, ovoid, acute, glabrous.

Flowering and fruiting: March-May
Semi-evergreen and evergreen forests
Southern Western Ghats (Endemic)
Images by Santhosh Kumar E. S.
Rauvolfia micrantha – indiantreepix | Google Groups: 1 attachment. 1 post. 1 author.
Here is a photograph of Rauvolfia micrantha Hook.f. an endemic species of the Western Ghats

.


245 ID wild plant Rauvolfia sp.:

Please ID wild plant,
Location: near Vannappuram Thodupuzha Idukki Dist. Kerala PIN:685607
Altitude: 1500fsl
Flower date: 25.10.2021, 01.20pm
Habitat: wild, moisture, waste land, roadside
Plant habit: small shrub, creeping, erect branches, hard stem 03 inches base diameter, perennial
Height: 04.5 feet
Leaves: whorled (03), ovate, oblong, apex, wavy margins, soft glossy, size:15×6cm or less
Flower: axillary racemose, clustered, diameter:10mm, white with purple shade, non fragrant
Fruit: drupe globular green into black diameter:11mm, edible sweet
Seed: black single, ovoid pear shaped size:6×4mm
Camera: mobile Samsung Galaxy A21s

This plant have latex, sharing more images.

Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill.??

Flower is not matching dear …, center of my flower is closed,

Appears close to images at Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz

My ID request 179 is Rauvolfia serpentina, I am sure that this plant have something  difference, so it is not Rauvolfia serpentina, please check collage, 2nd row is 179,

I agree with … for Rauvolfia verticellata,

not only vegetative characters fruit also ovoid …..verticellata
Fruit globose……… serpentaiana.

What is worrying me is the protruding style (?) and pinkish throat which I do not see in Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill.

There is another species i.e. Rauvolfia hookeri reported from Kerala as per FoPI.
But I do not find much material or keys to verify or otherwise. Pl. see:
https://www.gbif.org/species/3617946
Any clue?


The plant in question is Rauvolfia micrantha Hook.f., a critically endangered and endemic species of Kerala. Attached another photographs here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *