Rauvolfia verticillata

Rauvolfia verticillata, the common devil pepper, grows as a shrub up to 5 metres (20 ft) tall. The bark is yellowish black or brown. Inflorescences bear up to 35 or more flowers. The flowers feature a white or pinkish corolla. Fruits are whitish purple when ripe, ovoid, up to 1.4 cm (1 in) long. The plant is found in a variety of habitats, from sea-level to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) altitude. The specific epithet verticillata means 'whorled' in Latin and refers to the plant's leaves. Local medicinal uses in China include as a treatment for snakebite, malaria, typhus and hypertension. R. verticillata is found in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.