Special uses of a highly poisonous plant that grows throughout Vietnam

The highly toxic substance of the plant is used as a unique fishing method, and it also has many unexpected uses .

Derris elliptica is the name of a climbing plant belonging to the legume family, commonly found in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, and the islands of the Southwest Pacific.

The poison of the fish poison plant acts as an organic pesticide.

The roots of this plant contain a lot of rotenone , a substance that is extremely toxic to fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates , but only moderately toxic to humans and warm-blooded animals.

Since ancient times, in Vietnam and other countries in the region, indigenous people have known how to take advantage of the toxicity of the fish poison plant to implement a unique fishing method. The roots of the fish poison plant will be crushed and thrown into the water where there are many fish. Fish that are stunned or killed by the rotenone toxin will float to the surface of the water and can be easily scooped up.

The poison of the fish poison plant also acts as an organic pesticide , used to control pests on crops, fight parasites on livestock or eliminate harmful insects in the home.

The roots of the fish poison plant can be used as an ingredient in the preparation of deworming medicine.

Despite its biological origin, experts in the field of ecology and organic farming do not consider fish poison plant pesticides to be ecologically sound because they have negative impacts on the environment if misused.

In the pharmaceutical field, the roots of the fish medicine plant can be used as raw materials to prepare deworming and scabies medicine.

The fish poison plant has alternate leaves and small, pink flowers. The fruit of the fish poison plant is shaped like a bean, 3–10 cm long, with 1–5 seeds, containing strong toxins. If you accidentally eat this fruit, you will be poisoned, which is very dangerous.