Indigofera

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Read about Indigofera in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Indigofera (indigo-bearing). Leguminosae. Indigo. Shrubs and perennial herbs sometimes grown for ornament, and some species cultivated in various parts of the world for indigo. Plants of differing habit, more or less silky-hairy: lvs. odd-pinnate (rarely digitate), or sometimes simple (1-foliolate): fls. usually small, in axillary racemes or spikes, in color ranging from purple to rose and white, papilionaceous; standard mostly roundish, often persisting for some time; keel with a spur or swelling on either side; stamens 10, monadelphpus, or 9 and 1: pod various, usually with thin partitions between the seeds.—The species are probably 300, in tropical regions of the world, and extending to the Cape region of S. Afr. Several species are native to the U. S. Indigo is mostly the product of I. tinctoria, of Asia, but it is also made from the West Indian species, I. anil. These species were early introduced into the southern states for indigo-making, and the product was once manufactured to a considerable extent. The plant was introduced into South Carolina in 1742 from the West Indies. When it was found that commercial indigo could be produced, the British Government offered a bounty. In 1775, the production was more than one million pounds of indigo. The war for independence checked the industry, and thereafter the rising importance of the cotton crop, amongst other things, drove it to the wall. But as late as the middle of the last century, indigo continued to be made in remote places. Plants still persist in some places as escapes from cultivation. I. tinctoria is perennial, but is grown from seeds, which give from two to four cuttings of herbage the first year. The indigo is not contained in the plant, but the dye is a product of manufacture from a glucoside indican which is contained in the herbage, and which is obtained as an extract. Indigo seed is offered by seedsmen. Other species, even of other genera, also yield indigo. Very much of the indigo of commerce is now manufactured synthetically from coal-tar. In North America, several species of Indigofera are occasionally grown as ornamental subjects. In the North, they are mostly greenhouse subjects. Propagated by seeds or cuttings, chiefly the latter. Recent introductions are I. amblyantha and I. kirilovwii, excellent species and hardy at the Arnold Arboretum. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Indigofera
Indigofera tinctoria
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Tribe: Indigofereae Genus: Indigofera
Species
See text

Indigofera suffruticosa

Indigofera is a large genus of about 700 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae. They occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a few species reaching the temperate zone in eastern Asia.

The species are mostly shrubs, though some are herbaceous, and a few can become small trees up to 5-6 m tall; most are dry-season or winter deciduous. The leaves are pinnate with 5-31 leaflets, the terminal leaflet present; leaf size varies from 3-25 cm long. The flowers are small, produced on racemes 2-15 cm long.

Indigofera species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Turnip Moth.

Selected species

Indigofera adenocarpa Indigofera adenoides Indigofera alopecuroides Indigofera alpina Indigofera alternans Indigofera amblyantha Indigofera amoena Indigofera angustata Indigofera angustifolia Indigofera antunesiana Indigofera aquae-nitensis Indigofera arenophila Indigofera argentea Indigofera arrecta Indigofera articulata Indigofera aspalathoides Indigofera aspera Indigofera asperifolia Indigofera astragalina Indigofera atriceps Indigofera atropurpurea Indigofera auricoma Indigofera australis Indigofera bainesii Indigofera boviperda Indigofera brachynema Indigofera brachyodon Indigofera brachystachya Indigofera brevicalyx Indigofera brevidens Indigofera brevipes Indigofera bungeana Indigofera burchellii Indigofera candicans Indigofera candolleana Indigofera capillaris Indigofera carlesii Indigofera caroliniana Indigofera cassioides Indigofera cecili Indigofera charlierana Indigofera chuniana Indigofera circinella Indigofera circinnata Indigofera colutea Indigofera comosa Indigofera cooperi Indigofera cordifolia Indigofera cryptantha Indigofera cuneata Indigofera cuneifolia Indigofera cylindracea Indigofera cylindrica Indigofera cytisoides Indigofera daleoides Indigofera decora Indigofera delagoaensis Indigofera demissa Indigofera dendroides Indigofera denudata Indigofera dielsiana Indigofera digitata Indigofera dimidiata Indigofera diphylla Indigofera disjuncta Indigofera dosua Indigofera dregeana Indigofera dyeri Indigofera egens Indigofera emarginella Indigofera erecta Indigofera eriocarpa Indigofera erythrogramma Indigofera evansiana Indigofera eylesiana

Indigofera fanshawei Indigofera filicaulis Indigofera filifolia Indigofera filiformis Indigofera filipes Indigofera flabellata Indigofera flavicans Indigofera foliosa Indigofera fortunei Indigofera frutescens Indigofera fulvopilosa Indigofera gairdnerae Indigofera galegoides Indigofera garckeana Indigofera glandulosa Indigofera glaucescens Indigofera glomerata Indigofera griseoides Indigofera hamiltonii Indigofera hebepetala Indigofera hedyantha Indigofera hendecaphylla Indigofera heterantha Indigofera heterophylla Indigofera heterotricha Indigofera heudelotii Indigofera hewittii Indigofera hilaris Indigofera himalayensis Indigofera hirsuta Indigofera hispida Indigofera hochstetteri Indigofera holubii Indigofera humifusa Indigofera ichangensis Indigofera incana Indigofera ingrata Indigofera inhambanensis Indigofera kirilowii Indigofera langebergensis Indigofera laxeracemosa Indigofera lespedezioides Indigofera leucotricha Indigofera lindheimeriana Indigofera linifolia Indigofera linnaei Indigofera litoralis Indigofera livingstoniana Indigofera longebarbata Indigofera longepedicellata Indigofera longeracemosa Indigofera lupatana Indigofera lyallii Indigofera macrophylla Indigofera maritima Indigofera marmorata Indigofera mauritanica Indigofera melanadenia Indigofera meyeriana Indigofera microcarpa Indigofera mimosoides Indigofera miniata Indigofera mischocarpa Indigofera mollicoma Indigofera monantha Indigofera montana Indigofera nebrowniana Indigofera nephrocarpoides Indigofera nigrescens Indigofera nigromontana Indigofera nummulariifolia Indigofera oblongifolia Indigofera omissa Indigofera ormocarpoides Indigofera ovata Indigofera oxalidea

Indigofera oxytropis Indigofera oxytropoides Indigofera paniculata Indigofera parkesii Indigofera parodiana Indigofera pascuorum Indigofera pendula Indigofera pilosa Indigofera podophylla Indigofera poliotes Indigofera pongolana Indigofera porrecta Indigofera potaninii Indigofera pratensis Indigofera praticola Indigofera pretoriana Indigofera procumbens Indigofera prostrata Indigofera pseudotinctoria Indigofera psoraloides Indigofera pulchra Indigofera purpurea Indigofera rautanenii Indigofera reducta Indigofera rehmannii Indigofera reticulata Indigofera rhynchocarpa Indigofera rhytidocarpa Indigofera ripae Indigofera rostrata Indigofera rothii Indigofera sabulicola Indigofera sanguinea Indigofera saxicola Indigofera schimperi Indigofera schinzii Indigofera secundiflora Indigofera semitrijuga Indigofera senegalensis Indigofera sessiliflora Indigofera sessilifolia Indigofera setiflora Indigofera simplicifolia Indigofera sokotrana Indigofera sordida Indigofera sphaerocarpa Indigofera spicata Indigofera splendens Indigofera stachyoides Indigofera stenophylla Indigofera strobilifera Indigofera suaveolens Indigofera subcorymbosa Indigofera subulifera Indigofera suffruticosa Indigofera sulcata Indigofera swaziensis Indigofera tenuis Indigofera tenuissima Indigofera tinctoria Indigofera tomentosa Indigofera torulosa Indigofera trifoliata Indigofera tristis Indigofera tristoides Indigofera trita Indigofera velutina Indigofera vicioides Indigofera viscidissima Indigofera vohemarensis Indigofera volkensii Indigofera wildiana Indigofera williamsonii Indigofera woodii Indigofera zeyheri Indigofera zollingeriana

Uses

Several of them and especially Indigofera tinctoria and Indigofera suffruticosa are used to produce the dye indigo.

The chemical aniline, from which many important dyes are derived, was first synthesized from I. suffruticosa (syn. I. anil, whence the name aniline).

Several species of this group are used to alleviate pain. The herbs are generally regarded as an analgesic with anti-inflammatory activity, rather than an anodyne. Indigofera articulata Gouan (arabic Khedaish) was used for toothache, and Indigofera oblongifolia Forsskal (arabic "Hasr") was used as an antiinflammatory for insect stings, snakebites, and swellings. Indigofera suffruticosa and Indigofera aspalthoides have also been used as antiinflammatories. A patent was granted for use of Indigofera arrecta extract to relieve ulcer pain.

References

INDIGOFERA.COM natural hair care studio

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Indigofera
• eFloras: search results for Indigofera