Tephrosia purpurea subsp. leptostachya
(L.) Pers., (DC.) Brummitt
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(c) Judy Flatt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Judy Flatt
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Célio Moura Neto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Célio Moura Neto
Summary
Source: WikipediaTephrosia purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It grows in poor soils as a common wasteland weed and has a pantropical distribution. It is a type of legume native to south-western Asia (the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Iran, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka) and north-eastern Africa (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia). The leaflets of the plant are obovate-oblong and equal-sided, and of a silky texture. The fruits (legumes) are typically 1 to 2 in (25 to 51 mm) long and contain six or seven brownish seeds. The species typically grows in areas where the soils are relatively deep, especially in semi-arid and wadi areas, and on terraces and slight inclines and hills. Tephrosia purpurea is known to be toxic to goats. Although it has been used in Oman and the United Arab Emirates to treat bronchitis, cough, earache, nasal congestion and wounds and bone fractures, as of 1993 its wider impact on humans had not been assessed. It can be used to make indigo-like dyes, and the leaves and those of other plants are used to make hot drinks by the Bedouin in parts of Sinai and the Negev.
Description
A small shrub. It can grow each year from seeds or keep growing for a few years. It grows 1 m high.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The leaves are eaten as a green vegetable.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are eaten as a green vegetable.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Tephrosia purpurea is also used in folk medicine and has some anti-bacterial properties. According to Ayurveda, the plant is anthelmintic, alexiteric, restorative, and antipyretic. The leaves and the root have been used in traditional medicinal on bronchitis, cough, earache, wounds and bone fractures by herbalists in countries such as Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The ground leaves of Tephrosia purpurea are also insufflated in cases of nasal congestion, or boiled with water to make eardrops. Powdered bark can be mixed with water and poured into the ears of camels with ticks, and powdered leaves have been made into a paste to be smeared on wounds. It has also been rubbed on limbs in conjunction with Fagonia indica and Ocomim basilicum of people affected with polio, without any effect. It is used in the treatment of leprosy, ulcers, asthma, and tumors, as well as diseases of the liver, spleen, heart, and blood. A decoction of the roots is given in dyspepsia, diarrhea, rheumatism, asthma and urinary disorders. The root powder is salutary for brushing the teeth, where it is said to quickly relieve dental pains and stop bleeding. An extract, termed 'betaphroline' (not a systematic name) is claimed to promote release of endorphins, and finds use in certain cosmetic preparations. African shepherds use crushed plants to make an antidotal beverage for animals bitten by snakes. When dried, the leaves of Tephrosia purpurea were found to contain 4.4% moisture, 21.1% of crude protein, 19.8% of crude fiber, and 10.9% of ash. A chemical analysis found that it contains rotenoids, isolflavones, flavanones, chalcones, and flavones, The chloroform extract of the aerial part of Tephrosia purpurea also revealed seven new 8-prenylated flavonoids, including tephroapollin A-G (1-7). In 2006, researchers of Oman's Sultan Qaboos University published their findings from a chemical investigation into the leaves in which they found it contained semiglabrin, semigalbrinol, and a new flavanone named apollineanin. One 2014 study revealed that pseudosemiglabrin extracted from the aerial parts of Tephrosia purpurea had an antiproliferative effect on cancer cell lines. A study of Tephrosia purpurea from the Wadi Ejili, in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, focusing on seeds collected from specimens of the traditional medicinal plant explored its exogenous production of silver nanoparticles. The study is thought to be the first time the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized via living plants has been observed.
Known Hazards
Tephrosia purpurea is cited as "unpalatable", although the seeds of the plant are reportedly a favourite of sandgrouse inhabiting the scrub-desert of northern Sudan, and the butterfly Colias croceus is known to feed on it. This has allowed it to colonize the landscape in parts of the Middle East which have been overgrazed, especially at lower altitudes. The species is known to be toxic to goats; a study published in the early 1980s revealed that 11 out of 12 goats died after 1 to 40 days of daily oral dosing of Tephrosia purpurea shoots (fresh or dried), and that they displayed adverse reactions to ingesting it such as dyspnoea, weakness of the limbs and joints causing instability in movement, changes in fat composition, catarrhal enteritis, and hemorrhage in the heart, lungs, and intestinal mucosa. Rotenoids extracted from the seeds of the plant also caused complete mortality in Aphis craccivora, when applied at a concentration of 0.1% for 48 hours. Tephrosia purpurea is used as a fish poison for fishing. Its leaves and seeds contain tephrosin, which paralyzes fish. Larger doses are lethal to fish, but mammals and amphibians are unaffected.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It can tolerate frost. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 900-1,500 mm. It grows in deep, dry, sandy soils. It grows between sea level to 1,500 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Middle East, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zimbabwe,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Matlhare, T., et al, Vegetables in Botswana. p 21 Bioversity website.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 29th April 2011]
