Common Name:

General Information

Millettia gracilis is a deciduous shrub growing 0.9 - 1.8 metres tall or a tree with a hemispherical crown that can be up to 3 metres tall[, ].
The plant is often used in traditional medicine. It is usually harvested from the wild and is also often sold in local markets.

Known Hazards

Millettia species in general contain a range of toxic substances, especially isoflavones. Rotenone is probably the best known of these isoflavones and it is found especially in the seeds and roots of the plants. Rotenone is often used locally as a fish poison - the rotenone kills or stuns the fish making them easy to catch, but the fish remain perfectly safe for warm-blooded creatures to eat. 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 also to 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.
Millettia species often also contain other potentially toxic compounds, especially saponins and alkaloids[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Angola.

Habitat

Thickets at the skirts of forests; secondary thickets; sometimes sporadic; at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position in a fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An aromatic powder known as 'Caseco' (or Caseque) is obtained from the quite dry trunks of this species and also of
Millettia rhodantha. It is applied in the form of a tonic ointment in the treatment of nervous and rheumatic headaches, nearly always mixed with the powder of Pemba stone. Sticks of the Caseco drug are invariably supplied in the markets of the coast and also in the interior. It is not used as sawdust, but is ground to a very fine powder by carefully grating the wood over a rough stone[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].

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