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2025-11-25T10:38:22Z

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{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image =
|image_caption =
|genus = Rauvolfia
|species = micrantha
|authority = [[Joseph Dalton Hooker|Hook.f.]]<ref name=POWO>{{cite POWO |id=81586-1 |title=''Rauvolfia micrantha'' Hook.f. |access-date=25 November 2025}}</ref>
|synonyms =
{{Species list
| Rauvolfia indosinensis | Pichon
| Rauvolfia membranifolia | Kerr
| Rauvolfia vietnamensis | Lý
}}
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO/>
}}

'''''Rauvolfia micrantha''''', the '''small-flowered snakeroot''',<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Taxonomic Information for Rauvolfia Micrantha- Biological Classifications & Names- Encyclopedia of Life|url=https://eol.org/pages/6849493/names|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Life|access-date=3 May 2014}}</ref> is a plant that is indigenous to southwestern India, southern Thailand, and Vietnam. It has a woody, shrub-like appearance and attractive flowers.

==Distribution and habitat==
The general habitat of plants in the genus ''[[Rauvolfia]]'' is semi-evergreen and evergreen forest distributed along tropical areas of Asia, Africa, and America. The plant is endemic to the evergreen forest of the [[Tinnevelly]] and [[Travancore]] hills in the Indian Western [[Ghats]] (states of [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Patil|first=V.M.|author2=Jayanthi |title=Micropropagation of Two Species of Rauvolfia (Apocynaceae)|journal=Current Science|date=1997|volume=72|issue=12|pages=961–965}}</ref> It flowers and fruits between March and October.<ref name=Kulloli>{{cite journal|last=Kulloli|first=S.K.|author2=Sreekala |title=Pollination Ecology of Rauvolfia Micrantha Hook.F. (Apocynaceae): A Critically Endangered Medicinal Plant from the Southern Western Ghats|journal=Phytomorphology|date=2009|volume=59|issue=3 & 4|pages=96–101}}</ref>

==Conservation==
''Rauvolfia micrantha'' is a critically endangered plant. The species has scanty distribution in the wild due to habitat degradation, fragmentation of population and narrow environmental niche.<ref name=Kulloli/> Efforts toward its conservation involve [[cryopreservation]] of seeds and in-vitro methods.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sudha|first=G.G.|author2=S. Seeni |title=In Vitro Propagation of Rauwolfia Micrantha, a Rare Medicinal Plant|journal=Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture|date=1996|volume=44|issue=3|pages=243–248|doi=10.1007/bf00048530|s2cid=6951195}}</ref> [[Organogenesis]]is the standardized protocol for regeneration of ''R. micrantha'' in culture. Nodes of the plant are used as explants.<ref name=Krishnan>{{cite journal|last=Krishnan|first=Peringattulli Narayanan |author2=S.W. Decruse |author3=R.K. Radha|title=Conservation of Medicinal Plants of Western Ghats, India and Its Sustainable Utilization through in Vitro Technology|journal=In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant|date=2011|volume=41|issue=1|pages=110–122|doi=10.1007/s11627-011-9344-9 |s2cid=23645571 }}</ref> Cryopreservation of the seeds has proven to be slightly difficult. The seeds of ''R. micrantha'' are of intermediate type and hence require strict conditions during this process.<ref name=Krishnan/>

==Morphology, flowers and fruits==
The plant is a perennial woody [[shrub]] that grows at elevations up to about {{convert|600|m|abbr=on|sigfig=1}}. Branches are slender and glabrous (having no trichomes or "hair"). The leaves are approximately {{convert|8–13|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} x {{convert|2–5|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}}, elliptic, membranous, abruptly acuminate at both ends; petiole 1 cm long.<ref name=indiabiodiversity>{{cite web|title=Rauvolfia Micrantha|url=http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230900|publisher=India Biodiversity Portal|access-date=3 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Youngken|first=Heber W.|title=Malabar Rauwolfia, Rauwolfia Micrantha Hook.F.|journal=Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association|date=1954|volume=43|issue=3|pages=141–143|doi=10.1002/jps.3030430305|pmid=13142931}}</ref> Flowers are arranged in axillary long-peduncled congested cymes; [[sepals]] are {{convert|1.5|mm|abbr=on}} long, triangular, acute and basely connate. The [[corolla (flower)|corolla]] is colored white with reddish color at throat, and is about {{convert|8|mm|abbr=on}} long, glabrous, with acute ovate lobes. [[Capsule (botany)|Capsule]] is {{convert|7|mm|abbr=on}} x {{convert|5|mm|abbr=on}}, ovoid acute, and glabrous.<ref name=indiabiodiversity/> Fruits are obliquely ovate and pointed.

''Rauvolfia micrantha'' is related to the [[Rauvolfia serpentina|snakeroot plant]] (''Rauvolfia serpentina'') which is used as a traditional herbal medicine. However, isoenzyme analysis reveals that it is more closely related to ''[[Rauvolfia tetraphylla]] L''.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nanthini|first=A. U. |author2=M. Johnson |author3=F.M. Franco |author4=T.R. Malar|title=Assessing the Genetic Relationship Between Three Selected Species of Rauvolfia Using Isoenzyme Profiles and Morphological Characters|journal=Journal of Phytology|date=2011|volume=3|issue=9|pages=48–54}}</ref>

==Reproduction==
Flowering reaches its peak in the month of May and anthesis occurs between 5:00 am and 8:30 am with a peak at 7:00 am. Dehiscence occurs between 6:00 am and 10:30 am on the day of the anthesis. The stigmas are receptive the day before [[anthesis]], however, become increasingly receptive on the day of anthesis.<ref name=Kulloli/> The major insect pollinators included ''[[Apis florea]]'' (honeybee), ''[[Oecophylla smargadina]]'' (red ant), ''[[Tetragonula iridipennis]]'' (pollen bee) and butterflies such as ''[[Pachliopta aristolochaea]]'', ''[[Pachliopta hector]]'', ''[[Delias eucharis]]'' and ''[[Euploea core]]''.<ref name=Kulloli/>

===Alkaloids===
Hairy root induction of the plant is achieved in culture by using infection with ''[[Agrobacterium rhizogenes]]'' strains.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sudha |first1=C. G. |last2=Obul Reddy |first2=B. |last3=Ravishankar |first3=G. A. |last4=Seeni |first4=S. |title=Production of Ajmalicine and Ajmaline in Hairy Root Cultures of Rauvolfia Micrantha Hook F., a Rare and Endemic Medicinal Plant |journal=Biotechnology Letters |date=2003 |volume=25 |issue=8 |pages=631–636 |pmid=12882157 |doi=10.1023/A:1023012114628|s2cid=11855109 }}</ref>
* Hairy root: [[ajmaline]], [[ajmalacine]], [[reserpine]], [[reserpiline]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pillay|first=P.P. |author2=D.S. Rao |author3=S.B. Rao|title=Chemical Investigation of Rauvolfia Micrantha Hook F.|journal=Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research|date=1960|volume=19B|pages=135–137}}</ref> [[sarpagine]], and [[serpentine (chemical)|serpentine]]<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sudha|first=C.G.|author2=S. Seeni |title=Spontaneous Somatic Embryogenesis on in Vitro Root Segment Cultures of Rauvolfia Micrantha Hook, F.- A Rare Medicinal Plant|journal=In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant|date=2006|volume=42|issue=2|pages=119–123|doi=10.1079/ivp2005738|s2cid=13172437}}</ref>
* Root bark: [[aunamine]] and [[neosarpagine]]
Other nutrients and chemicals in the plant include [[Phenols|phenolics]], [[flavonoid]]s, [[vitamin]]s and [[carotenoid]]s. The extracts also had antioxidant properties ''[[in vitro]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nair|first=Vadakkemuriyil |author2=Rajaram Panneerselvam |author3=Ragupathi Gopi|title=Studies on Methanolic Extract of Rauvolfia Species from Southern Western Ghats of India- In Vitro Antioxidant Properties, Characterization of Nutrients and Phytochemicals|journal=Industrial Crops and Products|date=2012|volume=39|pages=17–25|doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2012.02.006}}</ref>

===Uses===
The plant is used as a substitute for ''R. serpentina'' in [[Ayurvedic]] practices in Kerala, India for nervous disorders such as insomnia and insanity.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q15376032}}

[[Category:Rauvolfia|micrantha]]
[[Category:Flora of India (region)]]
[[Category:Flora of Indo-China]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1882]]

Rauvolfia micrantha - Revision history

WardDrayton2: Put Up First Info First Draft - done