Indigofera hilaris Eckl. & Zeyh.

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (6)

Photo: Bart Wursten
By main Vumba rd before Bunga Forest

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chinyakwaremba, Vumba

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

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

Synonyms:	Anila hilaris (Eckl. & Zeyh.) O. Kuntze Indigofera hirta E. Mey. Indigofera leipzigiae Bremek.
Common names:	Gay indigofera (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb, dying back in winter, with stiffly erect or decumbent, ribbed stems, up to 40 cm tall, growing from a thick woody rootstock. Leaves pinnate mostly with 3-7 leaflets, upper leaves sometimes with more, basal leaves reduced, becoming scale-like; leaflets often folded; stipules 2-9 mm long, linear, stiffly erect. Inflorescences densely-flowered racemes 1.5-5 cm long, mostly appearing after fire. Flowers 7-8 mm long, bright pink to carmine. Pod 10-30 mm long, cylindric, straight, with whitish, reddish or brown appressed short hairs, shortly beaked with the persistent style base.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	hilaris: gay or cheerful, probably referring to the bright, colourful display of the flowers
Habitat:	In open grassland on granite sands, often on rocky hillsides.
Altitude range:	700 - 2100 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	MS,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 93. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 163. as Indigofera hilaris microscypha Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 33. As Indigofera hilaris hilaris Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. As Indigofera hilaris hilaris Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 69. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 221. 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 48. As Indigofera hilaris var. hilaris Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 58, plate 83 Schrire, B.D. (2012). Papilionoideae-Indigofereae Flora Zambesiaca 3(4) Pages 218 - 219.

Other sources of information about Indigofera hilaris:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Indigofera hilaris
Flora of Zimbabwe: Indigofera hilaris

External websites:

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