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Useful Tropical Plants

Indigofera linnaei

Ali

Fabaceae


The name Indigofera enneaphylla L., has been incorrectly applied to this species. As now lectotypified, this name is an illegitimate synonym of Psoralea pinnata L.[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

+ Synonyms

Hedysarum prostratum L.

Indigofera dominii Eichler

Indigofera enneaphylla L.

Indigofera tsiangiana F.P.Metcalf

Common Name: Birdsville indigo

No Image.

General Information

Indigofera linnaei is a perennial plant with prostrate, sometimes ascending, much-branched stems that can become more or less woody, especially near the base, and persist. It can grow 20 - 90cm tall[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
372
Title
Flowers of India
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
]. The plant grows from a long taproot around 30cm long and 5mm wide[
1496
Title
A Revision of the Genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia
Publication
Blumea 30 (1984) 89-151
Author
Kort I. de, Thijsse G.
Publisher
 
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. In times of need, the plant is harvested from the wild for its seed which are an emergency source of food[
1496
Title
A Revision of the Genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia
Publication
Blumea 30 (1984) 89-151
Author
Kort I. de, Thijsse G.
Publisher
 
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
It causes however a disease of horses but is obviously suitable for feeding sheep. There are some further reports in the literature on species of Indigofera, mostly of subg. Indigofera, which had been or are being occasionally cultivated or recommended for cultivation. That is true e.g. for I. longiracemosa Boiv. ex Baill. in Bull. Soc. Linn. Paris 1 (1883) 399 (Madagascar, S India, E Africa), I. disperma L., Syst. nat. ed. 12 (1768) 232 (South America) and I. diphylla Vent., Choix pl. 5 (1804) 300, t. 30 (W Africa), which had been grown locally or sporadically as dye plants in Java resp. the Antilles or in W Africa. For soil conservation the cultivation has been reported in North America for I. miniata Ortega, Nov. pl. descr. dec. (1798) 98 (southern USA to Guatemala), in Japan for I. pseudo-tinctoria Matsum. in Bot. Mag., Tokyo 16 (1902) 62 (Japan, China) and has been recommended recently in the USA for I. leptosepala Nutt. in Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1 (1838) 298. As forage or green manure crops had been reported for Kenya I. schimperi Jaub. & Spach, Ill. pl. or. (1857) t. 484 (tropical and South Africa) and I. swaziensis Bolus in Trans. S. Afr. Phil. Soc. 16 (1906) 381 (South Africa), for Tanzania I. paniculata Pers., Syn. pl. 2 (1807) 325 (tropical Africa), for India I. linifolia (L.f.) Retz., Obs. bot. 4 (1786) 29 (NE Africa, S and SE Asia to Australia, subg. Sphaeridiophora Baker!). Other species recommended as forage crops or at least of potential importance for this purpose are I. sessiliflora DC., Prodr. 2 (1825) 228 (Sahel belt, Ethiopia, India), I. trifoliata L., Cent. Pl. 2 (1756) 29 (SE Asia to Australia), I. uniflora Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb., Fl. ind. ed. 2, 3 (1832) 374 (India) and I. medicaginea Welw. ex Baker in Oliv., Fl. trop. Afr. 2 (1871) 86 (tropical Africa)[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Known Hazards

The plant is the cause of a horse disease known in Australia as 'Birdsville disease' but sheep and cattle can eat it apparently without any harmful results[
1496
Title
A Revision of the Genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia
Publication
Blumea 30 (1984) 89-151
Author
Kort I. de, Thijsse G.
Publisher
 
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1496
Title
A Revision of the Genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia
Publication
Blumea 30 (1984) 89-151
Author
Kort I. de, Thijsse G.
Publisher
 
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Hainan), Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia to New Guinea, Australia

Habitat

Sandy ground near rivers or seashores, dry open places, sunny trailsides; at elevations from 100 - 700 metres, occasionally to 1,200 metres[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height0.75 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Indigofera species generally grow best in a sunny position, preferring a well-drained but moist soil[
974
Title
Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants
Publication
 
Author
Ahmed Fayaz
Publisher
Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand
Year
2011
ISBN
978-1-55407-489
Description
A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
]. Many of the species will also succeed in drier conditions and in poor soils.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Edible Uses

Seed[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. In times of famine the seeds are ground into a powder and eaten[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Medicinal

The juice of the plant is used as an antiscorbutic and diuretic. It is considered to be alterative in the treatment of old venereal affections[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
1402
Title
Ethnomedicinal Uses of Plants in the Plains Area of the Tirunelveli-District, Tamilnadu, India
Publication
Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 1198-1205. 2008
Author
Vanila, D., Ghanthikumar, S. and Manickam, V.S.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
 
,
1496
Title
A Revision of the Genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia
Publication
Blumea 30 (1984) 89-151
Author
Kort I. de, Thijsse G.
Publisher
 
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
 
,
1503
Title
Indian Medicinal Planta
Publication
 
Author
Kirkitar K.R.; Basu B.D. & Indian Civil Service
Publisher
Sudhindra Nath Basu, BahadurGanj; India
Year
1918
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-01. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Indigofera+linnaei>

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