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.
Descriptionedit
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]
^Plowes, D. C. H.; Drummond, R. B. (1990). Wild flowers of Zimbabwe: a guide to some of the common wild flowers of Zimbabwe. Longman Zimbabwe.
^Timberlake, J. R.; Martins, E. S. (2013). Flora Zambesiaca Volume 3 Part 4: Papilionoideae: Indigofereae. London: Published on behalf of the Governments of Portugal, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and the United Kingdom by the Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations. pp. 218–219. ISBN978-1842464083.
^Manning, John C.. (2013). Field guide to wild flowers of South Africa. Cape Town: Random House Struik. p. 278. ISBN9781920544874.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indigofera hilaris.
Flora of Zimbabwe: Indigofera hilaris Eckl. & Zeyh.
December 18, 2023
indigofera, hilaris, bush, indigo, indigofera, species, leguminous, shrublet, genus, indigofera, family, fabaceae, hilaris, vernon, crookes, nature, reserve, kwazulu, natalconservation, statusleast, concern, iucn, scientific, classificationkingdom, plantaeclad. Indigofera hilaris the red bush indigo or gay indigofera is a species of leguminous shrublet in the genus Indigofera family Fabaceae 1 Indigofera hilarisIndigofera hilaris var hilaris in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve KwaZulu NatalConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder FabalesFamily FabaceaeSubfamily FaboideaeGenus IndigoferaSpecies I hilarisBinomial nameIndigofera hilarisEckl amp Zeyh SynonymsIndigofera hirta E Mey 1836 Indigofera compacta N E Br 1925 Indigofera leipzigiae Bremek 1933 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Description 3 Distribution 4 References 5 External linksEtymology editThe 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 Description edit nbsp Flowering plants in recently burned grassland Gauteng South AfricaIndigofera 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 Distribution editIndigofera 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 References edit a b Indigofera hilaris Plants of the World Online Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Retrieved 30 January 2022 Plowes D C H Drummond R B 1990 Wild flowers of Zimbabwe a guide to some of the common wild flowers of Zimbabwe Longman Zimbabwe Timberlake J R Martins E S 2013 Flora Zambesiaca Volume 3 Part 4 Papilionoideae Indigofereae London Published on behalf of the Governments of Portugal the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and the United Kingdom by the Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations pp 218 219 ISBN 978 1842464083 Manning John C 2013 Field guide to wild flowers of South Africa Cape Town Random House Struik p 278 ISBN 9781920544874 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indigofera hilaris Flora of Zimbabwe Indigofera hilaris Eckl amp Zeyh Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indigofera hilaris amp oldid 1090834233, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,