Paraderris montana
Paraderris montana
Safety & Hazards
The plant contains rotenone and has been used traditionally as a fish poison - the rotenone kills or stuns the fish making them easy to catch, but the fish remain perfectly edible for mammals. 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 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.
Botanical Description
Paraderris montana is a climbing shrub, producing stems 15 metres long or more[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The woody stems twine into other vegetation for support[ 1414 Title The Genera Aganope, Derris, and Paraderris (Fabaceae, Millettieae) in Thailand Publication Systematic Botany (2012) 37(2) pp 404-436 Author Sirichamorn Y.; Adema F.A.C.B.; & van Welzen P.C. Publisher Year 2012 ISBN Description ]. A lesser source of the insecticide rotenone, the roots are harvested from wild and cultivated plants for use as a fish poison and insecticide[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The plant is sometimes cultivated, mainly in Malaysia, Borneo and India, less frequently also in other countries of tropical Asia, Tonga and the West Indies[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Most widespread is the cultivar 'Sarawak erect'[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ].