Description

Tephrosia purpurea, the wild indigo or fish poison plant, is a perennial subshrub of the family Fabaceae, widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical dry grasslands, disturbed habitats, and scrublands of the Indian subcontinent, tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The plant produces pinnate leaves and purple-pink flowers characteristic of the Fabaceae family. Known in Ayurveda as Sharapunkha and documented in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita in the Tikta (bitter) Rasayana group, the roots are incorporated in classical formulations for hepatic conditions, splenomegaly, and blood purification. The plant contains rotenone and related isoflavonoids — which also account for its documented use as a traditional fish poison in tribal communities across India. The roots are commercially harvested from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.