June 1942 E-571 
A LIST OF PLANTS REPORTED TO CONTAIN ROTENONE OR ROTENOIDS 
By Howard A. Jones, Division of Insecticide Investigations 
In 1933 Roark (39) listed those plants in which rotenone and related 
compounds had been found. Since that time many additional plant species 
have been investigated, and a new list is of interest. In some cases the 
actual isolation of rotenone or compounds related to it has been reported. 
In many investigations, however, a characteristic color test has been applied 
which indicates the presence either of rotenone or of compounds of the 
rotenone type, collectively termed rotenoids by Roark (42). The color test 
usually used in this type of work has been that of Durham (24, 51), but the 
test of Gross and Smith (12, 15) has also been applied. 
In table 1 are listed those plants of the family Leguminosae that 
have been definitely reported to contain rotenone or rotenoids. The part 
of the plant on which the findings were made is given. By noting the heading 
under which reference to the literature is made it may be ascertained whether 
the plant has been reported to contain • rotenone, or compounds related to 
it, or gave a positive color test for rotenone and rotenoids. In most cases 
reference has been made only to the first work i^ which the findings were 
reported. The table lists 68 leguminous plants that have been reported to 
contain rotenone or rotenoids. The genera, all of the subfamily Papilionatae, 
have been classified according to tribes, and it will be noted that the 
tribes Galegeae and Dalbergieae are represented by the largest number of 
genera. Of the more important genera, 21 species of Tephrosia are listed, 
12 species of Derris . 12 of L onchoc ar pus , 10 of M il l ettia , and 2 of Mundulea. 
