diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/quiver.py b/lib/matplotlib/quiver.py
index f7af947e68c8..da1e85950933 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/quiver.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/quiver.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import matplotlib.transforms as transforms
 
 
-_quiver_doc = """
+_quiver_doc = r"""
 Plot a 2D field of arrows.
 
 Call signature::
@@ -138,15 +138,12 @@
     The arrow length unit is given by the *scale_units* parameter.
 
 scale_units : {'width', 'height', 'dots', 'inches', 'x', 'y', 'xy'}, default: 'width'
+    The physical image unit, which is used for rendering the scaled arrow data U, V.
 
-    The physical image unit, which is used for rendering the scaled arrow data *U*, *V*.
-
-    The rendered arrow length is given by
-
-        length in x direction = $\\frac{u}{\\mathrm{scale}} \\mathrm{scale_unit}$
-
-        length in y direction = $\\frac{v}{\\mathrm{scale}} \\mathrm{scale_unit}$
+    The rendered arrow length is given by:
 
+    - length in x direction = :math:`\frac{u}{\mathrm{scale}}\,\mathrm{scale\_unit}`
+    - length in y direction = :math:`\frac{v}{\mathrm{scale}}\,\mathrm{scale\_unit}`
     For example, ``(u, v) = (0.5, 0)`` with ``scale=10, scale_units="width"`` results
     in a horizontal arrow with a length of *0.5 / 10 * "width"*, i.e. 0.05 times the
     Axes width.