Fish-poison-bean
Tephrosia vogelii

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A softly woody herb. It is a branched shrub. It grows 1-4 m high. The stems are covered with dense hairs. The leaves have 13-29 leaflets. These are oblong and 5-9 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They have silky hairs on top. The flowers are about 2.7 cm long in dense stalked clusters. The flowers can be white or violet. The fruit are 10-14 cm long pods which are 1.2-1.7 cm wide. They are densely hairy. The hairs near the edges are rusty brown and the ones towards the centre are white.

It is cultivated as a fish poison. It is also used as shade for coffee.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in grassy slopes. In Papua New Guinea it occurs from 1200 to 2280 m altitude. It can re-grow after fire. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 870-2,670 mm. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, China, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Lao, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: It contains the poison tephrosin. The leaves are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from fresh seeds. Stored seed should be soaked in hot water before planting.

Its other names

Local names

Bantaculudje, Bantamaro, Bwalu, Doankiem vogel, Kibaazi, Igongo, Koru, Mtetezga, Mthuthu, Toon, Umurukuruku, Yom

Synonyms

Tephrosia periculosa Baker; Cracca vogelii (Hook. f.) Kuntze;