rauwolfia: Meaning and Definition of

rau•wol•fi•a

1. any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Rauwolfia, as R. serpentina, of India.
2. an extract from the roots of the rauwolfia, R. serpentina, containing alkaloids the most important of which is reserpine: used in medicine chiefly for the treatment of hypertension and as a sedative.