Tuba root

Scientific Name of Tuba root- Derris elliptica (Wall.) Benth.

Family:  Fabaceae

Vernacular Names

English:  Tuba root

Malayalam:  Bhuthakkaranti valli.

Distribution and Habitat:

It is distributed throughout Assam, Myanmar, Malaya and East- Indies

Parts Used:  Root

Properties:  Insecticidal, antirheumatic

Uses:  used as insecticide

Plant Description:

A large climbing shrub with purplish brown stem having scattered, circular to elliptic lenticels and black, closely warted branchlets. Leaves alternate, graying- green, imparippinnate. Leaflets are oblong, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, slightly hairy to glabrous on upper surface, rusty tomentose on the lower surface. Flowers papilionaceous and occur in axillary compound racemes. Pods flattened, elliptic, 5-7.5 cm x 1.8 cm, 1- 3 seeded, thin sutures raised, nearly winged along the sutures.

Propagation:  seeds.