If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Indigofera macrophylla

Schumach. & Thonn.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

No Image.

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 *  *
HabitClimber
Height6.00 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.
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[
1505
Title
Medicinal Plants in Nigeria (website)
Publication
 
Author
Professor Tolu Odugbemi
Website
http://www.medicinalplantsinnigeria.com/uploads/1/7/4/8/17482593/plantsdatabase.xls
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line database, downloadable in .xls format, it has basic information on 628 species of plants
].
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.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Indigofera+macrophylla>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.