Millettia aurea
Millettia aurea
Safety & Hazards
Millettia species in general contain a range of toxic substances, especially isoflavones. Rotenone is probably the best known of these isoflavones and it is found especially in the seeds and roots of the plants. Rotenone is often used locally as a fish poison - the rotenone kills or stuns the fish making them easy to catch, but the fish remain perfectly safe for warm-blooded creatures to eat. Rotenone is classified by the World Health Organization as moderately hazardous. It is mildly toxic to humans and other mammals, but extremely toxic to many insects (hence its use as an insecticide) and also to aquatic life, including fish. This higher toxicity in fish and insects is because the lipophilic rotenone is easily taken up through the gills or trachea, but not as easily through the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. The lowest lethal dose for a child is 143 mg/kg, but human deaths from rotenone poisoning are rare because its irritating action causes vomiting. Deliberate ingestion of rotenone, however, can be fatal. The compound decomposes when exposed to sunlight and usually has an activity of six days in the environment. Millettia species often also contain other potentially toxic compounds, especially saponins and alkaloids[ 1309 Title The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation Publication Author Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. Publisher University of Wisconsin Year 1981 ISBN 0-333-32221-5 Description An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus. ].
Botanical Description
Millettia aurea is a shrub or a tree that usually grows around 3 - 6 metres tall, but can grow up to 20 metres tall[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. Millettia aurea is threatened mainly by loss and fragmentation of its habitat due to intentional burning to clear land for grazing and agricultural lands, and wildfires sparked by burning adjacent secondary grasslands. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].