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Tephrosia virginiana
  • Catgut

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

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 4
    Zone 4
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Tephrosia virginiana has 0 material uses listed
Tephrosia virginiana has 0 medicinal uses listed

Uses

Toxic parts

Contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[1]. The seeds are toxic[1].

Edible uses

There are no edible uses listed for Tephrosia virginiana.

Material uses

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[4].

Unknown part

Hair care
Insecticide

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The root is anthelmintic, diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral and tonic[2][1][4]. A tea made from the roots is said to make children muscular and strong[1][4]. A cold tea is used to improve male potency and also to treat TB, bladder problems, coughs, irregular menstruation and other women's complaints[1][4]. Experimentally, the root has shown both anticancer and cancer-causing activity[1]. The leaves have been placed in the shoes in order to treat fevers and rheumatism[4].

Unknown part

Anthelmintic
Cancer
Diaphoretic
Diuretic
Pectoral
Tonic
Women's complaints

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Tephrosia virginiana. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

A deep rooted plant, requiring a dry to moist light or medium very well-drained soil in a sunny position[5].

Plants are hardy to about -25° when given a suitable position[5].

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[5].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Tephrosia virginiana. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Tephrosia virginiana.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Tephrosia virginiana
Genus
Tephrosia
Family
Leguminosae
Imported References
Edible uses
Medicinal uses
[2][1][4]
Material uses & Functions
[2][3][4]
Botanic
[6][5][7]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
4
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
  • Drought
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
?
Herbaceous or Woody
?
Life Cycle
perennial
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
0.6 x meters
Fertility
?
Pollinators
Insects
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
hermaphrodite











References

  1. ? 1.01.11.21.31.41.51.6 Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0395467225 (1990-00-00)
  2. ? 2.02.12.22.3 Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. ISBN 0-8160-2624-6 (1993-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.13.2 Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books ISBN 0-449-90589-6 (1980-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.14.24.34.44.54.6 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.15.25.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
  6. ? Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. (1950-00-00)
  7. ? Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J [Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas] Botanical Research Institute, Texas. (1999-00-00)


Retrieved from "https://practicalplants.org/w/index.php?title=Tephrosia_virginiana&oldid=81231"
Facts about "Tephrosia virginiana"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyLeguminosae +
Belongs to genusTephrosia +
Has binomial nameTephrosia virginiana +
Has common nameCatgut +
Has drought toleranceTolerant +
Has environmental toleranceDrought +
Has fertility typeInsects +
Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone4 +
Has lifecycle typePerennial +
Has material partUnknown part +
Has material useHair care + and Insecticide +
Has mature height0.6 +
Has medicinal partUnknown part +
Has medicinal useAnthelmintic +, Cancer +, Diaphoretic +, Diuretic +, Pectoral +, Tonic + and Women's complaints +
Has search nametephrosia virginiana + and catgut +
Has shade toleranceNo shade +
Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
Has taxonomy nameTephrosia virginiana +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
PFAF edible use notes migratedYes +
PFAF material use notes migratedNo +
PFAF medicinal use notes migratedNo +
PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
PFAF toxicity notes migratedNo +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
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