[efloraofindia:33475] 280410GS2 from Delhi for ID

[Gurcharan Singh]

280410GS2 from Delhi for ID. The plant has been recently introduced in Herbal Garden, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi. The plant is grown in the same plot where Rauvolfia serpentina is growing. The gardener told me that some doctor who brought this plant says that this is real Sarp Gandha. So there must be some medicinal connection. May be Dr. Hari and Pankaj Oudia ji can throw some light on this. This appears to be member of Rubiaceae.

Date/Time-	April 28, 2010 4 pm
Location- Place, Altitude, GPS-	Herbal Garden, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, 213 asl
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-	Introduced in Herbal Garden
Plant Habit- Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb-	Delicate shrub, branched
Height/Length-	1-1.5 m tall
Leaves Type/ Shape/ Size-	leaves opposite, with additional smaller pair
Inflorescence Type/ Size-	cymose on peduncle
Flowers Size/ Colour/ Calyx/ Bracts-	4-6 mm across, white, petals 5
Fruits Type/ Shape/ Size Seeds-	not seen
Other Information like Fragrance, Pollinator, Uses etc.-	local doctor said this is real sarp gandha

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

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[tanay bose]

Dear Gurcharan ji,

Rauvolfia tetraphylla Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 208. 1753.

Shrubs to 2 m tall, pubescent or tomentose when young, glabrescent with age. Leaves in whorls of 3-5; petiole 2-5 mm; leaf blade ovate, narrowly ovate, or oblong, 1-15 X 0.8-4 cm, membranous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex acute or obtuse; lateral veins 5-12 pairs. Peduncle 1-4 cm. Corolla white, tube urceolate, 2-3 mm, long hairy inside distal half; lobes ovate or suborbicular. Stamens inserted at corolla throat. Ovaries connate. Drupes subglobose, 5-10 mm in diam., glabrous, connate. Seeds 2. Fl. May, fr. Jun-Aug. 2n = 66.

Cultivated for medicine.The latex has been reported to be emetic, cathartic, and expectorant and is used for treating dropsy. The fruit juice is used as a substitute for ink.

Regards
Tanay

Tanay Bose
+91(033) 25550676 (Resi)
9830439691(Mobile)
9674221362 (Mobile)

[Dr. Hari Venkatesh.K.Rajaraman]

Thank You Dinesh ji & Tanay ji for adding up more to it..

Dear Gurucharan ji...

 i would like to attach a few more photos of the same plant from which are grown in Western Ghats (Koppa)...

As far as we know R. tetraphylla is also a source of Sarpagandha...(Probably a substitute in Pharmaceutical industry).. But there is also an adulterant for Sarpagandha which is Chasalia curviflora, from the family of Rubiaceae.. the inflorescence of both R.serpentina & Chasalia curviflora looks alike because of which the drug collectors sometimes wrongly identify Chasalia to be Rauwolfia & now it has become one of the chief adulterants.

Thank You

Dr Hari Venkatesh K Rajaraman

[Dr. Hari Venkatesh.K.Rajaraman]

Sorry here are the photographs...

[Nudrat]

Hello,

This is indeed Rauvolfia tetraphylla. However it is not the real
sarpagandha. That is Rauvolfia serpentina. It is used as hypotensive
and in mental disturbances. The reserpine content in R. tetraphylla is
considerably less than that in R. serpentina hence it is of lesser
value than R. serpentina.

On Apr 28, 7:00 pm, "Dr. Hari Venkatesh.K.Rajaraman"

>  Rauvolfia tetraphylla - inflorescence.jpg
> 53KViewDownload
>
>  Rauvolfia tetraphylla - Tender fruits.jpg
> 57KViewDownload
>
>  R.-tetraphylla - ripe fruits.jpg
> 111KViewDownload

[Gurcharan Singh]

Thanks Nudrat ji

I just read  paper by S. Anitha and BD Ranjitha Kumari, African Journal of Biotechnology, 2006, mentioning R. tetraphylla as an endangered species.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/