''Tephrosia'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the family
Fabaceae
Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,[International Code of Nomen ...](_blank)
. It is widespread in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere, where it is found in tropical and warm-temperate regions.
The generic name is derived from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
word τεφρος (''tephros''), meaning "ash-colored," referring to the greyish tint given to the leaves by their dense
trichome
Trichomes (; ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...
s. Hoarypea is a common name for plants in this genus, along with goat's rue and devil's shoestring.
Uses
Many species in the genus are poisonous, particularly to
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, for their high concentration of
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 ...
. The black seeds of ''Tephrosia'' species have historically been used by indigenous cultures as fish toxins.
[Hugh Scott, ''In the High Yemen'', London 1942, p. 238, note C.][NTFlora Northern Territory Flora online:]
''Flora of the Darwin Region: Fabaceae.''
Retrieved 10 June 2018 In the last century, several ''Tephrosia'' species have been studied in connection with the use of
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 ...
as an insecticide and pesticide.
''Tephrosia vogelii'' is also one of the many beneficial nitrogen-fixing legumes that can be used in a permaculture forest gardening system as a source of living 'chop and drop' mulch.
Selected species
Species include:
*''Tephrosia arenicola''
Maconochie
*''Tephrosia candida''
(Roxb.) DC.
*''Tephrosia chrysophylla''
Pursh
*''Tephrosia clementii''
Skan
*''Tephrosia elongata''
E.Mey.
*''Tephrosia glomeruliflora''
Meissner
*''Tephrosia mysteriosa''
DeLaney
*''Tephrosia odorata''
Balf.f.
*''Tephrosia onobrychoides''
Nutt.
*''Tephrosia pondoensis''
(Codd) Schrire
*''Tephrosia purpurea''
(L.) Pers.
*''Tephrosia socotrana''
Thulin
*''Tephrosia spinosa''
(L.f.) Pers.
*''Tephrosia virginiana''
*''Tephrosia vogelii''
Hook.f.
See also
* Helena M. L. Forbes
References
External links
*
* l
Plantilustrations.org: ''Tephrosia''.(Botanical illustrations for ''Tephrosia'' species.)
*
*
{{Authority control
Tephrosia,
Fabaceae genera
Taxa named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot