We are following the treatment in the Flora of China[]. However, some other treatments, including 'A Revision of Callerya Endl. (including Padbruggea and Whitfordiodendron) (Papilionaceae; Millettieae)'[] treat this taxon as a synonym of Callerya cinerea (Benth.) Schot

Common Name:

General Information

Callerya dielsiana is a deciduous shrub, often scrambling into other vegetation; it usually grows from 2 - 5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, and possibly also as a food.

Known Hazards

Millettia and related 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

E. Asia - southern China, northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Mixed woodlands and thickets on slopes, thickets in river valleys, open places at forest margins; at elevations from 300 - 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Callerya dielsiana is found from the warm temperate zone of southern China to the tropical regions of southeast Asia. Selected provenances from the north of its range, and at higher elevations, experience at least some frost and can be grown outdoors in the warmer regions of the temperate zone.
Succeeds in full sun in a fertile moisture-retentive but well-drained soil[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Seed[]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

The stem bark is used in the treatment of anaemia and rheumatoid muscular aches[, ].

The root and stem are decocted in water and used in the treatment of anaemia, dysmenorrhoea, infantile paralysis, myalgia, numbness of the limbs, rheumatism and wet dreams[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Layering in spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with the leaves removed, mid summer in moist sand in a frame[].