Family:
Fabaceae Lindl.
Genus:
Indigofera L.

Indigofera longebarbata Engl.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Ethiopia and S. Tropical Africa.

[FTEA]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Slightly woody annual up to 1.3 m. tall; stems reddish, slightly ridged, stiffly pilose.
Morphology Leaves
Stipules linear, up to 8 mm. long; rhachis brown pilose, up to 5 cm. long, including a petiole of 2–6 mm., prolonged by 4–7 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipellae not visible; petiolules ± 1.5 mm. long; leaflets 9–13, oblong-elliptic, apiculate, up to 20 mm. long and 10 mm. wide, softly white pilose on both surfaces.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes stiffly dark brown pilose, very densely many-flowered, up to 25 cm. long, including the peduncle which is usually longer than the floriferous part; bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 8 mm. long; pedicels under 1 mm. long, strongly reflexed in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx stiffly brown-black pilose, ± 5 mm. long, divided almost to the base into setaceous lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white pubescent outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens ± 5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods up to 8 mm. long, ± 1.8 mm. wide and 2 mm. thick, stiffly black pilose, ± 3-seeded; endocarp dark, not spotted.
Habitat
Upland grassland, forest margins and bamboo thickets; 1300–2550 m.; rainfall 850–2000 mm.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 T2 T4 T6 T7 T8 U2 eastern South Africa

[ILDIS]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Sudanian grasslands, Zambezian grassland, Afromontane grassland, Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket., Afromontane bamboo thicket.
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb

[FWTA]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
Erect, sub-woody herb, up to 3 ft. high.

Native to:

Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre

Indigofera longebarbata Engl. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Schrire, B.D. [2354], South Africa 59320.000 No
Schimper [1389], Ethiopia K000392801 Yes
Tyson [1273], South Africa K000393294 Yes
Tyson [1615], South Africa K000393295 Yes
Bidgood, S. [5386], Tanzania K000190616 No
Bidgood, S. [5412], Tanzania K000190642 No

First published in Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1891(2): 257 (1892)

Accepted by

  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-list: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Retief, E. & Meyer, N.L. (2017). Plants of the Free State inventory and identification guide Strelitzia 38: 1-1236. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Schrire, B.D. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 3(4): 1-245. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1983). Flora du Rwanda 2: 1-603. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Bak. f. Leg. Trop. Afr. 1: 147
  • Cronq. in Fl. Congo Belge 5: 141.
  • Hochgebirgsflora Afr. 257 (1892)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Schrire, B.D. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 3(4): 1-245. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1983). Flora du Rwanda 2: 1-603. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Cronquist in Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, 5: 141 (1954).
  • Engl., Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr.: 257 (1892).
  • Gillett in Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 541 (1958)
  • Gillett in Kew Bulletin, Add. Ser. 1: 109 (1958).
  • Torre in Consp. Fl. Angol. 3: 126 (1962).

International Legume Database and Information Service

  • Gillett, J. B. (1958). Kew Bull. Addnl. ser. 1:1-166. Indigofera.. in Tropical Africa.

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    Flora of West Tropical Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0