biology

Rauvolfia

Rauvolfia is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Rauvolfia rather than just read about it. In short: Rauvolfia (sometimes spelled Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf.

Key takeaways

Rauvolfia belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Rauvolfia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Rauvolfia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Rauvolfia (sometimes spelled Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf. The genus can mainly be found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and various oceanic islands.

Spelling The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants stipulates that the genus name was established by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 book Species Plantarum, which cites his earlier description which states in Botanical Latin that the name is dedicated "to Leonhard Rauwolf": "Leon. Rauvolfio". Although some subsequent authors hypercorrected the Classical Latin letter "v" to a modern "w", this is not accepted by the code of nomenclature.

Chemical constituents Rauvolfia serpentina, commonly known as Indian snakeroot or sarpagandha, contains many indole alkaloids.

Conservation Rauvolfia serpentina is declining in the wild due to collection for its medicinal uses. Consequently, it is listed in CITES Appendix II. Rauvolfia vomitoria is a highly invasive species in Hawaiʻi, and is capable of establishing dense monotypic stands.

Species As of November 2025, Plants of the World Online accepted these species:

formerly included Rauvolfia celastrifolia Baker = Stephanostegia hildebrandtii Baill. Rauvolfia dentata Tafalla ex D.Don = Citharexylum dentatum D.Don Rauvolfia flexuosa Ruiz & Pav. = Citharexylum flexuosum (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don Rauvolfia glabra Cav. = Vallesia glabra (Cav.) Link Rauvolfia indosinensis Pichon = Rauvolfia micrantha Hook.f. Rauvolfia laevigata Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. = Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia Jacq. Rauvolfia longifolia A.DC. = Alstonia longifolia (A.DC.) Pichon Rauvolfia macrophylla Ruiz & Pav. 1799 not Stapf 1894 = Citharexylum flexuosum (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don Rauvolfia oppositifolia Spreng. 1822 not Sessé & Moc. 1888 = Tabernaemontana oppositifolia (Spreng.) Urb. Rauvolfia peguana Hook.f. = Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill. Rauvolfia pubescens Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. = Citharexylum quitense Spreng. Rauvolfia spinosa Cav. = Citharexylum flexuosum (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don Rauvolfia stenophylla Donn.Sm. = Alstonia longifolia (A.DC.) Pichon Rauvolfia strempelioides Griseb. = Strempeliopsis strempelioides (Griseb.) Benth. ex B.D.Jacks. Rauvolfia striata Poir. = Ochrosia borbonica J.F.Gmel. Rauvolfia vietnamensis Lý = Rauvolfia micrantha Hook.f.

References

Bibliography

McNeill, J.; Barrie, F.R.; Buck, W.R.; Demoulin, V.; Greuter, W.; Hawksworth, D.L.; Herendeen, P.S.; Knapp, S.; Marhold, K.; Prado, J.; Prud'homme Van Reine, W.F.; Smith, G.F.; Wiersema, J.H.; Turland, N.J. (2012). International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011. Vol. Regnum Vegetabile 154. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG. ISBN 978-3-87429-425-6.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Rauvolfia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Rauvolfia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Rauvolfia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Rauvolfia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Rauvolfia

In research: Rauvolfia appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Rauvolfia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Rauvolfia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apocynaceae genera, Medicinal plants, Rauvolfia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Rauvolfia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Rauvolfia” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Rauvolfia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Rauvolfia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Rauvolfia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rauvolfia in simple terms?

Rauvolfia (sometimes spelled Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf.

Why does Rauvolfia matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Rauvolfia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Rauvolfia.