Tephrosia

For the moth genus, see Ectropis.
Tephrosia
Tephrosia purpurea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Millettieae
Genus: Tephrosia
Pers.
Species

See text.
Synonyms

Colinil Adans.
Cracca L.
Seemannantha Alef.[1]

Tephrosia is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word τεφρος (tephros), meaning "ash-colored," referring to the greyish tint given to the leaves by their dense trichomes.[2]

Contents

Uses

Many species in the genus are poisonous, particularly to fish, for their high concentration of rotenone. Tephrosia species have historically been used by indigenous cultures as fish toxins.[3] In the last century, several Tephrosia species have been studied in connection with the use of rotenone as an insecticide and pesticide.

Selected species

  • Tephrosia astragaloides
  • Tephrosia candida DC.
  • Tephrosia cinerea (L.) Pers.
  • Tephrosia clementii Skan
  • Tephrosia coronillaefolia Welw. ex Baker
  • Tephrosia densiflora
  • Tephrosia frutescens
  • Tephrosia hildebrandtii[4]
  • Tephrosia macropoda (E.Mey.) Harv.
  • Tephrosia nitens Benth. ex Seem.

References

  1. ^ "Genus: Tephrosia Pers.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11939. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
  2. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. IV R-Z. Taylor & Francis US. p. 2642. ISBN 978-0-8493-2678-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=zIOvJSJs-IkC. 
  3. ^ U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2006-03). "Results for search term "tephrosia"" (html). FDA Poisonous Plant Database. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~djw/pltx.cgi?QUERY=tephrosia. Retrieved 2008-01-21. 
  4. ^ Bussmann, R. W., et al. (2006). Plant use of the Maasai of Sekenani Valley, Maasai Mara, Kenya. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2 22.
  5. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Tephrosia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?11939. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 

External links