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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

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

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 (no NWHI records, K, O, M [as Indigofera spicata]); Du Puy et al. 1993:727 (KEY), 731/Herbst & Wagner 1999:21 (Misapplied: I. spicata = 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 (Misapplied: I. hendecaphylla)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Indigofera spicata Forssk. kahului along kaahumanu avenue PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hobdy, r.w. collector number: 2826 Maui BISH 6/3/1987
2 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Manoa Campus, University of Hawaii, Honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Swarbrick, J.T. H-20 Oahu BISH 1/4/1976
3 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Sand Island, Nimitz Ave., near incinerator roadside; Verbesina encelioides, Chloris virgata PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Starr, F. 080605-01 Midway Atoll BISH 6/5/2008
4 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Kahului along Kaahumanu Avenue PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hobdy, R.W. 2826 Maui BISH 6/3/1987
5 Indigofera spicata Forssk. wahiawa PRESERVED_SPECIMEN godfrey, g.h. Oahu BISH 2/1/1932
6 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Lihue. Peleke St. Lihue Industrial Park II PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Flynn, T. s.n. Kauai BISH 10/9/1986
7 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Kailua Elementary School playground. Seal level PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hughes, E. s.n. Oahu BISH 8/28/1990
8 Indigofera spicata Forssk. lanai city, mauka of castle & cooke conservation headquarters Groundcover growing out of asphalt crack in weedy waste area, with Digitaria. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN imada, c.t. collector number: 2002-42 Lanai BISH 7/22/2002
9 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Poipu, Waiohai ~25 acre vacant lot PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Dunn, L. 304 Kauai BISH 10/17/2003
10 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Hoomaluhia State Pake, Kahua Nui Campground, Kaneohe In lawn. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Walker, R. Collector Number: s.n. Oahu BISH 4/2/1981
11 Indigofera spicata Forssk. ala moana state recreation area grassy area behind beach PRESERVED_SPECIMEN pollack, g.h.; tetteris, a. 28 CM 11/17/1989
12 Indigofera spicata Forssk. captain cook, amy greenwell ethnobotanical garden PRESERVED_SPECIMEN starr, f. martz, k. collector number: 000409-5 Hawaii BISH 4/9/2000
13 Indigofera spicata Forssk. university of hawaii manoa campus, honolulu, lawn at sakamaki hall PRESERVED_SPECIMEN k. nagata 2402 Kauai US 1/12/1982
14 Indigofera spicata Forssk. kekaha, on manu road, just south of kekaha road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN n. tangalin 1385 Kauai US 6/6/2007
15 Indigofera spicata Forssk. manoa campus, university of hawaii, honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN swarbrick, j.t. collector number: h-20 Oahu BISH 1/4/1976
16 Indigofera spicata Forssk. kahului along kaahumanu avenue PRESERVED_SPECIMEN r. hobdy 2826 Maui US 6/3/1987
17 Indigofera spicata Forssk. university of hawaii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN collector unknown 4513 Hawaii US
18 Indigofera spicata Forssk. university of hawaii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN e. britten 4513 Hawaii US 10/28/1954
19 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Edge of Kaukonahua gulch in University of Hawaii, Exp. Station grounds, Oahu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 27334 Oahu BISH 4/7/1961
20 Indigofera spicata Forssk. waialae-iki park PRESERVED_SPECIMEN shinbara, b. Oahu BISH 11/4/1971
21 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Kaunakakai Harbor Along the road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Oppenheimer, H.L. Collector Number: H70107 Molokai BISH 7/14/2001
22 Indigofera spicata Forssk. sakamaki hall, university of hawaii manoa campus. honolulu, hi PRESERVED_SPECIMEN nagata, k.m. collector number: 2553 Oahu BISH 10/20/1982
23 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Lanai City, mauka of Castle & Cooke Conservation headquarters Groundcover growing out of asphalt crack in weedy waste area, with Digitaria. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Imada, C.T. Collector Number: 2002-42 Lanai BISH 7/22/2002
24 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Lanai City, mauka of Castle & Cooke Conservation headquarters Groundcover growing out of asphalt crack in weedy waste area, with Digitaria. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Imada, C.T. 2002-42 Lanai BISH 7/22/2002
25 Indigofera spicata Forssk. edge of kaukonahua gulch in university of hawaii, exp. station grounds, oahu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN degener, o. degener, i. collector number: 27334 Oahu BISH 4/7/1961
26 Indigofera spicata Forssk. honolulu, woodlawn curve, near nehea school PRESERVED_SPECIMEN st.john, h. collector number: 26900 Oahu BISH 8/15/1977
27 Indigofera spicata Forssk. kaunakakai harbor Along the road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN oppenheimer, h.l. collector number: h70107 Molokai BISH 7/14/2001
28 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Honolulu, Woodlawn Curve, near Nehea School PRESERVED_SPECIMEN St. John, H. 26900 Oahu BISH 8/15/1977
29 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Sakamaki Hall, University of Hawaii Manoa Campus. Honolulu, HI PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Nagata, K.M. 2553 Oahu BISH 10/20/1982
30 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Hoomaluhia State Pake, Kahua Nui Campground, Kaneohe In lawn. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Walker, R. s.n. Oahu BISH 4/2/1981
31 Indigofera spicata Forssk. kailua elementary school playground. seal level Forest PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hughes, e. collector number: s.n. Hawaii BISH 8/28/1990
32 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Starr, F. 000409-5 Hawaii BISH 4/9/2000
33 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Waialae-iki Park PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Shinbara, B. s.n. Oahu BISH 11/4/1971
34 Indigofera spicata Forssk. lihue. peleke st. lihue industrial park ii PRESERVED_SPECIMEN flynn, t. Kauai BISH 10/9/1986
35 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Kaunakakai Harbor Along the road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Oppenheimer, H.L. H70107 Molokai BISH 7/14/2001
36 Indigofera spicata Forssk. Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Starr, F. Martz, K. Collector Number: 000409-5 Hawaii BISH 4/9/2000
37 Indigofera spicata Forssk. sand island, nimitz ave., near incinerator under projecting rock PRESERVED_SPECIMEN starr, f. starr, k. collector number: 080605-01 Oahu BISH 6/5/2008
38 Indigofera spicata Forssk. hoomaluhia state pake, kahua nui campground, kaneohe In lawn. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN walker, r. collector number: s.n. Oahu BISH 4/2/1981
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