Indian Snakeroot or Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina) is a small plant from family Apocynaceae..
It is grown in home gardens to deter snakes...
This plant is in my in-law's backyard...the region (coastal Odisha) gets a plenty of rainfall..the perpetual wet conditions favor the reptiles...so, its an antidote major..
The back fruits are the ripe one...of pea-sized..
Looks beautiful in three colors...in three different stages of maturity.........
Anyway, regarding the efficacy of the plant...I remember this fun tale..
My maternal uncle's place has a few of these plants..my mother asked my aunt if this plant really drives away the snakes?
She told, 'I don;t think so. I spotted a snake, knotted around one of its branch'.
Is not that funny? A blow to the ethnobotanical practice...
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ReplyDeleteHi.... That's a wonderful blog. I am also a herbalist and love reading some good stuff like this on Medicinal and aromatic plants. Sarpagandha also known as Rauvolfia serpentina used to treat high blood pressure. Rauwolfia serpentine(Sarpagandha) commonly known as indian snakeroot , black snakeroot or devil pepper is distributed in Himalayan regions Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and mainly used to treats mental disorders. Read more about Rauvolfia and other herbs here.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will like the content.
Thanks,
Dhiman Ghosh
MAPeFY
Are the berries edible?
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