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Indigofera spicata

Forssk. (1775)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Indigofera

creeping indigo

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Prostrate to weakly ascending perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems 3–7.5 dm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaflets (3–)5–11, 3–30 mm long, 2–12 mm wide, increasing in size toward apex of rachis, obovate to oblong–cuneate, sometimes some of them elliptic, alternate to subopposite. Surfaces strigose, more densely so on lower surface. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate.

Flowers: Flowers in racemes 5–17 cm long, bracts caducous. Flowers papilionaceous; bracteoles absent. Calyx 2–3 mm long, campanulate, 5-toothed, teeth narrowly deltate, ciliate. Corolla salmon, 4–6 mm long, caducous, standard longer than broad, keel petals erect. Stamens 10; upper stamen distinct, the other 9 connate into a tube; anthers usually with explosive pollen release, apiculate. Ovary superior; style 1, apical.

Fruit: Pods straight; reflexed; linear; somewhat quadrangular; 15–35 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; sparsely strigillose; septate between the seeds. Seeds 7–9; pale brown; quadrangular to quadrangular–ellipsoid; 1.3–2 mm long; ca. 1 mm wide.

Ploidy: 2n = 16; 32; 36

Habitat: Low elevation; dry; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Rafael Domingo
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • also known as creeping indigo
  • low elevation
  • not mentioned

Bibliography

Name Published In: Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 138 (1775)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:675 (K, O, M [as I. spicata]); Du Puy et al. 1993:727 (KEY), 731/Herbst & Wagner 1999:21 (I. spicata misapplied = I. hendecaphylla); Starr et al. 2002:20 (H); Oppenheimer 2003:13 (Mo); Herbst et al. 2004:7 (L); Starr et al. 2010:64 (Mi); Wagner et al. 2012:39 (I. hendecaphylla misapplied = I. spicata)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Indigofera spicata Kahului along Kaahumanu Avenue Preserved_Specimen prostrate patches, flowers salmon colored. Hobdy, R.W. 2826 Maui BISH 1987-06-03
2 Indigofera spicata Hoomaluhia State Pake, Kahua Nui Campground, Kaneohe In lawn. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Walker, R. Oahu BISH 1981-04-02
3 Indigofera spicata Sakamaki Hall, University of Hawaii Manoa Campus. Honolulu, HI Preserved_Specimen Occasional weed at edge of lawns. Prostrate. Nagata, K.M. 2553 Oahu BISH 1982-10-20
4 Indigofera spicata Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden Preserved_Specimen Prostrate perennial herb, 5 cm tall, 20 cm in diameter; flowers green to salmon; fruits straight. Starr, F. 4095 Hawaii BISH 2000-04-09
5 Indigofera spicata Edge of Kaukonahua gulch in University of Hawaii, Exp. Station grounds, Oahu Preserved_Specimen Sparingly naturalized weed in clay soil. Degener, O. 27334 Oahu BISH 1961-04-07
6 Indigofera spicata Honolulu, Woodlawn Curve, near Nehea School Preserved_Specimen prostrate weed. edge of lawn. fl. salmon colored. St.John, H. 26900 Oahu BISH 1977-08-15
7 Indigofera spicata Manoa Campus, University of Hawaii, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Prostrate woody herb, tough tap root. Flower pink. Ruderal. Swarbrick, J.T. 20 Oahu BISH 1976-01-04
8 Indigofera spicata Kaunakakai Harbor Along the road. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 70107 Molokai BISH 2001-07-14
9 Indigofera spicata Wahiawa Preserved_Specimen cult. and spreading. experiment plots. Godfrey, G.H. Oahu BISH 1932-02-01
10 Indigofera spicata Kailua Elementary School playground. Seal level Preserved_Specimen Flowers coral/peach in color. Hughes, E. Oahu BISH 1990-08-28
11 Indigofera spicata Lihue. Peleke St. Lihue Industrial Park II Preserved_Specimen Mat forming herb along road. Inflorescences erect. Corolla salmon. Flynn, T.W. 1259 Kauai BISH 1986-10-09
12 Indigofera spicata Poipu, Waiohai ~25 acre vacant lot Preserved_Specimen spreading prostrate herb, mat forming ground cover with upright inflorescences; corolla pink orange to purple; leaflets oblong elliptical; pods with hairs Dunn, L. 304 Kauai BISH 2003-10-17
13 Indigofera spicata Waialae-iki Park Preserved_Specimen Shinbara, B. Oahu BISH 1971-11-04
14 Indigofera spicata Lanai City, mauka of Castle & Cooke Conservation headquarters Groundcover growing out of asphalt crack in weedy waste area, with Digitaria. Preserved_Specimen Imada, C. 200242 Lanai BISH 2002-07-22
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