Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Indigofera | > | tinctoria |
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. |
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