''Lonchocarpus urucu'', or barbasco, is plant in the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It is native to the tropical forests of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, as well as of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

, growing from above sea level. It was also recorded in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. Cubé resin, the root extract from Barbasco and from cubé ('' Lonchocarpus utilis''), is used as a commercial

insecticide Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...

and piscicide (fish poison). The major active ingredients are

rotenone Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine, and in the roots of several other members of the Fabaceae. It was the first-described member of the ...

and

deguelin Deguelin is a derivative of rotenone. Both are compounds classified as rotenoids of the flavonoid family and are naturally occurring insecticides. They can be produced by extraction from several plant species belonging to three genera of the leg ...

. Although "organic" (produced by nature),

is no longer considered an environmentally safe chemical.

Taxonomic status

The taxonomic status as a species with the name Lonchocarpus urucu ist still to be resolved, as it is also considered a variety of Deguelia rufescens: ''Deguelia rufescens var. urucu'' (Killip & A.C.Sm.) A.M.G.Azeved.

Toxicity

Barbasco is toxic to insects, fish, and other pests. The primary threat to humans and other mammals comes from inhaling the powdered root or root extract. It has been used by the

Shuar people The Shuar, also known as Jivaro, are an indigenous ethnic group that inhabits the Ecuadorians, Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazonia. They are famous for their hunting skills and their tradition of head shrinking, known as Tzantza, Tzantsa. The Shuar ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and the

Nukak people The Nukak people (also Nukak- Makú) live between the Guaviare and Inírida rivers, in the depths of the tropical humid forest, on the fringe of the Amazon basin, in Guaviare Department, Republic of Colombia. They are nomadic hunter-gatherers ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

as a poison for fishing.

References

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Zipcode Zoo - Barbasco
urucu Flora of Brazil Flora of Guyana Flora of Peru {{Millettieae-stub