Indigofera macrophylla
Schumach. & Thonn.
Fabaceae
Common Name:
General Information
Indigofera macrophylla is a scrambling or climbing shrub with stems 2 - 10 metres long[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of soap.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
West tropical Africa - Senegal to Cameroon, Congo and Central African Republic
Habitat
Humid or swampy sites, margins of evergreeen forest, gallery and secondary forests[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Climber |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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.
Unlike most species in this genus, this taxon does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[
755- Title
- Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The bark is used medicinally[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The leaves and young stems are used in the treatment of a range of conditions including diarrhoea and dysentery, whooping cough, bronchitis, piles, ulcers, enlargement of the spleen and liver, skin diseases[
].
A decoction of the leaves, combined with the leaves of Rauvolfia vomitoria, the leaves of Cajanus cajan and the whole plant of Olyra latifolia, is drunk in order to induce labour and ensure safe delivery of the baby for women. When cooled, the same decoction is used as a remedy against smallpox[
1504- Title
- Some Medicinal Forest Plants of Africa and Latin America
- Publication
- FAO Forestry Paper 67
- Author
- Various
- Publisher
- FAO, Rome
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- 92-5-102361-1
- Description
- Monographs of 40 medicinal plants. It can be downloaded from the internet
].
Other Uses
The bark is rich in saponins and produces an abundance of foam when crushed and whisked in water[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Propagation
Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and 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.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
