African Snakeroot

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Upper Volta, Nigeria, Ghana, W Africa, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Africa, E Africa

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Aphrodisiac, Bite(Snake), Congestion, Convulsion

Science studied: 17-ACETYL-AJMALINE, AJMALICINE, AJMALINE, ARICINE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Apocynaceae

Scientific name: Rauvolfia vomitoria

Common names: African Snakeroot, African serpentwood, African snakeroot, Brech-Teufelspfeffer, Poison devil's-pepper, asofeyeje, berenquete, cui tu luo fu mu, kräkbuske, poison devil's-pepper, poison devil-pepper

POWO: 81673-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Upper Volta, Nigeria, Ghana, W Africa, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Africa, E Africa and 2 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Aphrodisiac
• Bite(Snake)
• Congestion
• Convulsion
• Dyspepsia
• Erysipelas
• Fever
• Gonorrhea

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Upper Volta
• Nigeria
• Ghana
• W Africa
• Liberia
• Ivory Coast
• Africa
• E Africa
• CM
• US

Documented cultural uses

• Aphrodisiac
• Bite(Snake)
• Congestion
• Convulsion
• Dyspepsia
• Erysipelas
• Fever
• Gonorrhea
• Herpes
• Jaundice
• Leprosy
• Measles

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Aphrodisiac · Upper Volta · "
• Bite(Snake) · Nigeria · "
• Congestion · Upper Volta · "
• Convulsion · Ghana · "
• Dyspepsia · W Africa · "
• Erysipelas · Ghana · "
• Fever · Liberia · "
• Gonorrhea · Ivory Coast · "
• Gonorrhea · Nigeria · "
• Herpes · Ghana · "
• Jaundice · Nigeria · "
• Leprosy · Upper Volta · "
• Measles · Ghana · "
• Purgative · Africa · "
• Rheumatism · Ghana · "
• Sedative · Africa · "
• Sprain · Ghana · "
• Swelling · Ghana · "
• Vertigo · Ghana · "
• Emetic · Upper Volta · "
• Jaundice · Ghana · "
• Sedative · Nigeria · "
• Urethrum · Ghana · "
• Urticaria · Ghana · "

15 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Cisplatin-synergistic monoterpene indole alkaloids with diverse scaffolds from Rauvolfia vomitoria. · 2026 source ↗
• Diverse Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids with Unprecedented Chemical Architectures from <i>Rauvolfia vomitoria</i> and Their Potential as Cisplatin Sensitizers. · 2026 source ↗
• SMART-guided discovery of Sarpagine-type monoterpene indole alkaloids from Rauvolfia vomitoria and the synergistic effects with cisplatin against human ovarian cancer cells. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• 17-ACETYL-AJMALINE
• AJMALICINE
• AJMALINE
• ARICINE
• CARAPANAUBINE
• DEACETYLDEFORMYLPICRALINE
• ISOAJMALINE
• ISOCARAPANAUBINE
• ISORESERPILINE-PSEUDOINDOXYL
• ISOSANDWICENE
• NEONORRESERPINE
• PURPELINE
• RAUNITIDINE
• RAUVOMILINE
• RAUVOXININE
• RENOXIDINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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