Indigofera hilaris, the red bush indigo or gay indigofera, is a species of leguminous shrublet in the genus Indigofera (family Fabaceae).[1]
The genus name Indigofera is Neo-Latin for "bearing indigo" (indigo is a purple dye originally obtained from some Indigofera species). Hilaris, from the Ancient Greek, means "cheerful, merry", referring to the bright, colourful display of the flowers.
Indigofera hilaris is a perennial shrublet with erect annual stems up to 60 cm from a thick woody rootstock. Leaves are pinnate, with one to four pairs of narrow elliptical, silky and often folded leaflets; basal leaves are reduced, becoming scaly. Stipules are 2–9 mm long, linear and stiff. Inflorescences are short-stalked densely-flowered 1.5–5 cm long racemes, scarcely longer than the leaves. Flowers are reddish-pink to carmine, 7–8 mm long and about 6 mm in diameter. Pods are 10–30 mm long, cylindrical and straight. Flowers bloom from July to December, especially after fires.[2][3]
Indigofera hilaris grows in open grasslands through eastern South and tropical Africa in Tanzania, Zambia, Zaire, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape).[4][1]
Indigofera hilaris, the red bush indigo or gay indigofera, is a species of leguminous shrublet in the genus Indigofera (family Fabaceae).
Indigofera hilaris là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Đậu. Loài này được Eckl. & Zeyh. miêu tả khoa học đầu tiên.[1]
Indigofera hilaris là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Đậu. Loài này được Eckl. & Zeyh. miêu tả khoa học đầu tiên.
