Indigofera hirsuta L.
Hairy Indigo

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, not continuous with stem, 20-70 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with recurved margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, leaflets 7-9, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3.5 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 1 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 4-5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 8 mm long, multicoloured, mostly pink, red or orange, with some pink, red or orange spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent, keel 4-6.4 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.4 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 4.5-5 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, glabrous; style 5-5.2 mm long, glabrous, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 12-17 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September. Occurs in the Northern and Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Pilbara, Northern Kimberley, Victoria Bonaparte, Central Kimberley, Ord-Victorian-Plain and Dampierland IBRA regions.