Erect, annual herb 0.2–0.75 (–1.5) m high, with taproot. Young stems ridged, green, strigose; hairs moderately dense, appressed, equally biramous. Leaves pinnate, rarely uni-or trifoliolate; leaflets (1–) 5–11. Petiole (3–) 7–15 (–20) mm long. Rachis furrowed; multicellular hairs between leaflet pairs absent; stipellae absent. Leaflets linear to narrowly elliptical or ovate, (10–) 20–45 mm long, 1–6 mm wide, opposite. Upper surface of leaflet green, glabrous, or rarely sparsely hairy; hairs (if present) appressed. Lower surface of leaflet green, hairs sparse to moderately dense, appressed. Discoid glands on lower surface absent. Veins not prominent. Apex obtuse and shortly mucronate. Stipules narrowly triangular or subulate, 1–1.9 mm long, sparsely pubescent, not persistent or spinescent. Inflorescence (2–) 10–30 (–40) mm long, shorter than the leaf. Peduncle 0.5–0.9 mm long. Bracts ovate, 0.3–1.1 mm long. Flowers purplish to pinkish to red or orange. Pedicel 0.5–0.9 mm long. Calyx 1.5–3 mm long; hairs sparse to moderately dense, white, appressed; lobes equal to or longer than the length of the tube, unequal to subequal. Standard reddish, obovate, 5.9–6.5 (–7.2) mm high, (3.5–) 4.5–5.2 mm wide. Wing narrowly obovate, 6.5–8 mm long, (2.0–) 2.7–3.5 mm wide. Keel 5.5–7.7 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide, glabrous; apex spathulate, drawn out from body of the keel (1.0–) 1.4–2.2 mm. Lateral pockets present but inconspicuous, 0.1–0.3 mm long. Stamens colourless. Staminal tube 3–3.8 mm long. Ovary moderately hairy with fine hairs. Pods descending, somewhat bilaterally flattened, (12–) 20–40 (–48) mm long, 2–3 mm deep, yellowish or brown, strigose; hairs moderately dense, appressed; apex upturned, shortly beaked; endocarp not spotted. Seeds (10–) 14 per fruit.
More
Erect annual herb 0.4-1 m tall. Stems ± densely appressed strigose, prominently ribbed above. Stipules 2-4 mm long, subulate or setaceous, erect or spreading. Leaves pinnately 3-13-foliolate; leaf axis 3-70 mm long, including petiole of 2-22 mm; terminal leaflet (7)10-26(30) x 1.5-6(9) mm, elliptic-oblong, lanceolate or linear, glabrous or strigillose above, ± densely strigose beneath. Raceme 0.6-3(4) cm long including peduncle of 1-5 mm, or sessile, ± densely many flowered; bracts 0.5-1 mm long, lanceolate-subulate; pedicels 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx 2.5-3.5 mm long; lobes narrowly triangular or subulate, ± equal to twice tube length. Stamens 3.5-4 mm long. Pod 18-35 x 1.5-2.5 mm, ± densely appressed strigose. Seeds 9-20, 1.6-2 x 1.2-1.5 mm, oblong-squarish, olive green, pitted, slightly purple mottled.
Recorded from heavy black or red clay soils, gravelly loams or sand in grasslands and open savanna woodlands. Indigastrum parviflorum often occurs on roadsides and disturbed sites and thus is considered a weed in places (Lazarides et al. 1997: 93, as Indigofera parviflora).
Home
