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Indigofera tinctoria
arcuata
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain, Gorongosa National Park
Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain, Gorongosa National Park
Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain, Gorongosa National Park
Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain, Gorongosa National Park
Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain, Gorongosa National Park
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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: | This variety is distinguished from var. tinctoria by the strongly curved fruit, often forming almost a full circle. |
| 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. |
| Mozambique distribution: | T,MS,GI |
| 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 |
| Content last updated: | Thursday 24 March 2016 |
| 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. arcuataFlora of Malawi: 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 tinctoriaAfrican 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
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