''Deguelia utilis'', syn. ''Lonchocarpus utilis'' (cubé, (common) lancepod or barbasco) is a species of

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

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 Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. Cubé resin, the root extract from cubé and from barbasco ('' Lonchocarpus urucu''), 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. Although "organic" (produced by nature) rotenone is no longer considered an environmentally safe chemical.

Miscellaneous

Cubé is toxic to insects, fish, and other pets. The primary threat to humans and other mammals comes from inhaling the powdered root or root extract.

References

Millettieae Flora of Brazil Flora of Guyana Flora of Peru {{Millettieae-stub