Indigofera spicata Forssk.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Hysteria Lane, Area 3, Lilongwe

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Synonyms:	Indigofera endecaphylla Jacq. Indigofera neglecta N.E. Br.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb with prostrate or semi erect creeping stems growing from a woody rootstock. The leaflets on the compound leaves are arranged alternately. The inflorescences arranged in erect, spike-like racemes, salmon pink to red.
Notes:	The species is a liver toxin in horses (Karl van Laeren, pers. comm. 2019)
Derivation of specific name:	spicata: arranged in a spike, spicate
Habitat:	In sandy grassland, margins of dambos, along roadsides and in cultivated and disturbed places.
Altitude range:	Up to 1700 m
Flowering time:	Sep - May
Worldwide distribution:	Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa. Also in Yemen, Madagascar and Mauritius.
Malawi distribution:	N,C,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 4 September 2024
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 34. As Indigofera spicata brevicarpa Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 22. As Indigofera spicata brevicarpa 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 222. 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. As Indigofera spicata var. spicata Schrire, B.D. (2012). Papilionoideae-Indigofereae Flora Zambesiaca 3(4) Pages 60 - 61. (Includes a picture). Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 26.

Other sources of information about Indigofera spicata:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Indigofera spicata
Flora of Mozambique: Indigofera spicata
Flora of Zambia: Indigofera spicata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Indigofera spicata

External websites:

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