Description

The species that can grow up to 10 m in height but commonly about 7 m in height, the bark is greyish in color. Leaves have about 4-8 pairs of opposite leaflets with a terminal leaflet; leaflets are 2–7 cm long and 1.5-3.5 cm wide with a glabrous surface below, blade is lanceolate to ovate. Flowers are mauve to purple while the fruit is an oblong pod.

Chemistry

Compounds from the chemical class,

rotenoid Rotenoids are naturally occurring substances containing a cis-fused tetrahydrochromeno ,4-bhromene nucleus. Many have insecticidal activity, such as the prototypical member of the family, rotenone. Rotenoids are related to the isoflavones. Natur ...

s have been isolated from the leaves and stem bark extracts of the species. The compound,

Barbigerone Barbigerone is one of a few pyranoisoflavones among several groups of isoflavones. It was first isolated from the seed of a leguminous plant ''Tephrosia barbigera''; hence the name "barbigerone". Members of the genus ''Millettia'' are now known ...

has been isolated from root extracts of the plant.

Uses

Root extracts of the plant are traditionally used as an antidotes for snake bites.

References

Flora of East Tropical Africa Flora of Kenya usaramensis {{Millettieae-stub