Indigofera tinctoria subsp. arcuata (J. B. Gillett) Schrire

tinctoria: used as a dye. Soaking and fermenting the leaves of this species has already since ancient times been used to produce indigo dye, a distinctive blue-violet colouring. Nowadays these dyes are mostly produced synthetically.

Small shrub, usually up to c. 1 m tall. Stems and branches slightly angular. Leaves imparipinnate with 5-7 pairs of leaflets; leafltes 14-20 mm long, sparsely hairy on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers reddish-pink and yellowish-green, with brownish hairs on the back of the standard. Pods strongly sickle-shaped, up to c. 20 mm long, hairy.

Locally abundant

(this variety): Angola, Ghana, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Var. tinctoria is widespread in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australasia and South America.