Indigofera

Taxobox
name = Indigofera

---

image_width = 300px
image_caption = "Indigofera tinctoria"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
tribus = Indigofereae
genus = "Indigofera"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text

"Indigofera" is a large genus of about 700 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae. They occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a few species reaching the temperate zone in eastern Asia.

The species are mostly shrubs, though some are herbaceous, and a few can become small trees up to 5-6 m tall. Most are dry-season or winter deciduous. The leaves are pinnate with 5-31 leaflets and the terminal leaflet present. Leaf sizes vary from 3-25 cm. The flowers are small, produced on racemes 2-15 cm long.

"Indigofera" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Turnip Moth.

;Selected species

Uses

Several of them and especially "Indigofera tinctoria" and "Indigofera suffruticosa" are used to produce the dye indigo.

The chemical aniline, from which many important dyes are derived, was first synthesized from "I. suffruticosa" (syn. "I. anil", whence the name aniline).

Several species of this group are used to alleviate pain. The herbs are generally regarded as an analgesic with anti-inflammatory activity, rather than an anodyne. [cite web|url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/dictionary/tico/a.html|title=Tico Ethnobotanical Dictionary|accessdate=2007-06-16] "Indigofera articulata" Gouan (arabic "Khedaish") was used for toothache, and "Indigofera oblongifolia" Forsskal (arabic "Hasr") was used as an anti-inflammatory for insect stings, snakebites, and swellings. [cite web|url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/syllabus/module10.htm|title=(syllabus: Duke University)] "Indigofera suffruticosa" and "Indigofera aspalthoides" have also been used as anti-inflammatories. [see references 8-9 in cite web|url=http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/3/2/261|title=Antimicrobial Activity of Indigofera suffruticosa] A patent was granted for use of Indigofera arrecta extract to relieve ulcer pain. [patent|US|6083509|"Phytodrug for management of peptic ulcer and methods of preparing and using same"]

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6030 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Indigofera"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=0&name_str=Indigofera&btnSearch=Search eFloras: search results for "Indigofera"]