Rauvolfia verticillata, the common devil pepper, is a plant in the family Apocynaceae. The specific epithet verticillata means 'whorled' and refers to the plant's leaves.
Rauvolfia verticillata grows as a shrub up to 5m (16feet) tall. The bark is yellowish black or brown. Inflorescences bear up to 35 or more flowers. The flowers feature a white or pinkish corolla. The fruits are whitish purple when ripe, ovoid, up to 1.40NaN0 long.
Rauvolfia verticillata is native to China and tropical Asia from India to the Philippines. It grows in a variety of habitats, from sea-level to 2000m (7,000feet) altitude.
Rauvolfia verticillata is used in traditional Chinese medicine, including as a treatment for snakebite, malaria, typhus and hypertension.