Practical
Plants

Tephrosia virginiana

Catgut

a perennial member of the Tephrosia genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[4]. The seeds are toxic[4].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root is anthelmintic, diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral and tonic[2][4][5]. A tea made from the roots is said to make children muscular and strong[4][5]. A cold tea is used to improve male potency and also to treat TB, bladder problems, coughs, irregular menstruation and other women's complaints[4][5]. Experimentally, the root has shown both anticancer and cancer-causing activity[4]. The leaves have been placed in the shoes in order to treat fevers and rheumatism[5].

Product or use
Anthelmintic
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Women's complaints

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root is a source of the insecticide 'rotenone'[2][3]. This is especially effective against flying insects but appears to be relatively harmless to animals[3]. A decoction of the roots has been used as a hair shampoo by women in order to prevent hair loss[5].

Product or use
Hair care
Product or use
Insecticide

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - New Hampshire to Florida, west to Texas and Manitoba.
Habitat
Dry sandy woods and openings[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in a greenhouse in spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting out in the following spring or early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A deep rooted plant, requiring a dry to moist light or medium very well-drained soil in a sunny position[1]. Plants are hardy to about -25° when given a suitable position[1]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].

References

  1. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩1↩2

  3. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  4. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

  7. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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