Indigofera tinctoria L.
var. arcuata J.B. Gillett

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Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mana Pools, by main road to camp

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Mubvee (Hippo) Lodge, Mana Pools

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near lodges, Mana Pools NP

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Indigofera suffruticosa sensu Conçalves non Mill.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Small shrub, usually up to c. 1 m tall. Stems and branches slightly angular. Leaves imparipinnate with 5-7 pairs of leaflets; leafltes 14-20 mm long, sparsely hairy on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers reddish-pink and yellowish-green, with brownish hairs on the back of the standard. Pods strongly sickle-shaped, up to c. 20 mm long, hairy.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: tinctoria: used as a dye. Soaking and fermenting the leaves of this species has already since ancient times been used to produce indigo dye, a distinctive blue-violet colouring. Nowadays these dyes are mostly produced synthetically.
Habitat: In seasonally flooded woodland and mopane woodland, on Kalahari sands or clay, on riverbanks, cultivated areas and roadsides.
Altitude range: Up to 1000 m
Flowering time:(Jan-)Feb - Mar
Worldwide distribution: (this variety): Angola, Ghana, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Var. tinctoria is widespread in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australasia and South America.
Malawi distribution: S
Growth form(s): Shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 34.

Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 222.

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 245.

Gillett, J.B., Polhill, R.M. & Verdcourt, B. (1971). Leguminosae (Part 3) subfamily Papilionoideae (1) Flora of Tropical East Africa Page 308.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 49.

Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 210 - 211. (Includes a picture).

Schrire, B.D. (1998). Notes relating to the genus Indigofera (Fabaceae) for Flora Zambesiaca: 2. Section Indigofera Kew Bulletin 53(3) Page 667.

Schrire, B.D. (2012). Papilionoideae-Indigofereae Flora Zambesiaca 3(4) Pages 133 - 136. (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 68.

Other sources of information about Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata
Flora of Mozambique: Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata
Flora of Zambia: Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Indigofera tinctoria
African Plant Database: Indigofera tinctoria
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Indigofera tinctoria
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Indigofera tinctoria
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Indigofera tinctoria
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Indigofera tinctoria
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Indigofera tinctoria
JSTOR Plant Science: Indigofera tinctoria
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Indigofera tinctoria
Plants of the World Online: Indigofera tinctoria
Tropicos: Indigofera tinctoria
Wikipedia: Indigofera tinctoria


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Indigofera tinctoria var. arcuata.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=129370, retrieved 6 December 2024

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