Indigofera 
I. schultziana F.Muell. 
Erect perennial subshrub with ?annual aerial parts, 
to 0.6 m high. Indumentum of appressed, hyaline to 
brown, equally 2-armed hairs, sparse on young stems. 
Stipules triangular, 0.5-1 mm long. Leaves 1-foliolate, 
40-115 mm long, articulate on the rachis, pulvinate; 
rachis furrowed, multicellular hairs at base of petiolule 
moderately dense; blades ovate to orbicular, 25-103 
mm long, 20-60 mm wide, glabrous or hairs small, 
sparse and appressed, apex obtuse or acute and 
apiculate. Inflorescence 35-115 mm long, longer than 
leaf. Calyx 1.5-2.3 mm long, lobes equal to or shorter 
than the tube. Standard lavender-pink, ovate. Pod 
ascending to descending, terete, 21-40 mm long, 2.5-3 
mm wide, brown, hairs small, moderately dense, 
appressed, apex shortly beaked; endocarp spotted. 
Seeds 6-8. Flowering and fruiting: Aug - Jan. Fig. 26 
Rare and endemic to the DR. Known only from 
Eucalypt savanna at Rum Jungle and in the Finniss 
River area. 
*], tinctoria L. 
Erect or spreading suffruticose shrub to 1(2) m high, 
with woody rootstock. Indumentum of appressed, 
hyaline, golden or brown, equally 2-armed hairs, 
sparse to dense on the stems. Stipules narrowly 
triangular, 1-3.5 mm long. Leaves pinnate, rachis 
slightly furrowed, multicellular hairs between leaflet 
pairs absent or inconspicuous; leaflets (7)9-13, 
obovate, glabrous above, hairs appressed, sparse to 
moderately dense below, apex obtuse and emarginate, 
or mucronate; lateral leaflets (5)10-25(35) mm long, 
4-12(19) mm wide; terminal leaflet slightly broader. 
Inflorescence (6)15-55(95) mm long, shorter than leaf. 
Calyx 1.2-2.1 mm long; lobes equal to tube. Standard 
pink to reddish, ovate to orbicular. Pod descending, 
brown, terete and slightly torulose, 23-35 mm long, 
1.5-2 mm wide, glabrescent or hairs sparse and 
appressed, apex upturned and shortly beaked; 
endocarp spotted. Seeds 7-10. Flowering: Oct - Nov, 
Feb - May; fruiting: Nov, Apr - June. Fig. 26 
Occurs throughout the Old World tropics, its 
distribution extended through cultivation for indigo 
dye production. Introduced to the New World tropics 
and northern Australia. In eastern Qld and the DR it 
is a weed on disturbed sites, mostly in urban areas. 
I. trifoliata L. 
Erect, or spreading (rarely prostrate or trailing) 
perennial herb or subshrub with woody rootstock, to 
0.6 m high (rarely to 1.2 m). Indumentum of 
appressed, hyaline to pale brown, equally or unequally 
2-armed hairs, sparse to moderately dense on the 
stems. Stipules linear, 0.6-0.9 mm long. Leaves 3- 
FABACEAE 89 
foliolate; rachis furrowed, multicellular hairs between 
leaflet pairs sparse, inconspicuous; Jeaflets narrow 
elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, hairs sparse, 
appressed or shortly spreading, lower surface 
prominently spotted with dark orange vesicular 
glands; apex obtuse or acute and shortly mucronate; 
basal leaflets opposite, 12-27 mm long, 3-6.5(9) mm 
wide; terminal leaflet slightly larger. Inflorescence 
3.5-8(14) mm long, shorter than leaf. Calyx 1.5-2.6 
mm long, lobes longer than the tube. Standard red, 
ovate to obovate. Pod descending, terete with 4 
thickened longitudinal ridges, 7-20 mm long, 1-2 mm 
wide, dark brown to black, glabrescent to moderately 
densely hairy, apex shortly beaked; endocarp not 
spotted. Seeds 3-7. Flowering: Dec - Mar; fruiting: 
Feb - Apr. Fig. 26 
Distributed from Pakistan to South China and 
Malesia. In tropical Australia, found in higher rainfall 
areas. Recorded from open communities on a variety 
of soil types. Uncommon in the DR. 
IL trita Lf. subsp. trita 
Semi-erect annual or short-lived perennial herb or 
subshrub to 0.45 m high. Indumentum of appressed, 
grey, equally 2-armed hairs, dense on the angular 
stems. Stipules narrowly triangular to linear, 1.5-3 
mm long. Leaves 3-foliolate; rachis furrowed, 
multicellular hairs between leaflet pairs few and 
inconspicuous; Jeaflets obovate to elliptic, hairs 
moderately dense to dense, unequally 2-armed and 
spreading above, equally 2-armed and appressed 
below, apex obtuse and mucronate; basal leaflets 
opposite, 9-20 mm long, 4-10 mm wide; terminal 
leaflet slightly larger. Inflorescence 25-50 mm long, 
shorter to slightly longer than the leaf. Calyx 2.5-5 
mm long, lobes longer than the tube. Standard 
orange-red or red, elliptic to obovate. Pod spreading, 
straight, 4-angled, 22-39 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, pale 
brown, indumentum of dense, appressed hairs, apex 
shortly beaked; endocarp not spotted. Seeds mostly 
8-10. Flowering: Jan - Mar; fruiting: Mar - May. 
Fig. 26 
Distributed through Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka 
and Burma to Indonesia. In tropical Australia the 
species occurs in open forest and woodland 
communities on clay or alluvial soils, and less 
often on sandstone and limestone. Uncommon in 
the DR. Although this is a variable taxon in 
Australia, most overseas workers have included 
Australian specimens in J. trita subsp. trita. Typical 
I. trita subsp. trita is described as having short 
inflorescences and equally-armed, appressed hairs 
on both leaf surfaces. Under this definition, the only 
typical collections in Australia come from the 
Hamersley Range area in WA. 
