Indigofera astragalina Dc.

Perennial or annual herb or suffrutex, 0.1-1.5 m tall. Stems erect to prostrate, often spreading radially from base, terete or ridged, densely greyish or brown hirsute or pilose. Stipules 6-15(17) mm long, linear-setaceous. Leaves pinnately (5)7-11-foliolate, sometimes 3-foliolate below; leaf axis (2)4-14 cm long, including petiole of (7)10-26(34) mm, stipels present; terminal leaflet (11)20-65 x 7-16(26) mm, elliptic to lanceolate, ± appressed whitish pilose with unequally biramous hairs on both surfaces, venation sometimes prominent beneath. Raceme (6)7-21 cm long, including peduncle of 10-25(30) mm; bracts 3-5 mm long; pedicels 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx 3-6 mm long, stiffly hirsute with grey and brown hairs; lobes setaceous, 3-5 times as long as tube. Corolla reddish, back of standard sparsely pubescent or subglabrous; keel apex obtuse. Stamens3.5-5 mm long, anthers sometimes with scattered hairs. Pod 12-17(19) x 2.5-3.5 mm, reflexed, 4-angled, straight, densely grey hirsute or pilose, upper suture pale, ± prominent; endocarp with large tannin vescicles. Seeds 3-5(6), 1.6-2 x 1.2-1.5 mm, oblong, barrel-shaped, greenish to black, deeply pitted.

Sandy grounds; muddy sand; sand on sandstone; often ruderal; rocaille; waste or cultivated ground; heavely grazed grassland; at elevations up to 1,800 metres.

The seeds are pounded with rice and eaten as a cake.

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.