Indigofera linifolia (L.f.)Retz.

Global description

Indigofera linifolia is a plant spread on the ground with stems abundantly covered with silver hairs with two spread tips. The leaves are alternate, simple, narrowly oblong in shape, covered with spreading hairs at two points. The inflorescences are reduced, 5 to 20 mm long and start from the base of the leaves. They include 8 to 16 orange-red flowers. The fruits are small globular pods 2 to 2.5 mm long, gray in color, with a single mottled seed.

Cotyledons

The cotyledons are oblong reniform and subsessile. The blade is 4 to 6 mm long and 2 to 3 mm wide. Only the central vein is marked.

First leaves

The first leaves are alternate and simple. They are elliptical and short stalked, mucronate at the top. At the base of the petiole are 2 linear stipules 2 mm long. Stems, petioles and leaves are covered with silver-colored applied navicular hairs.

General habit

Indigofera linifolia grows first erect, but very quickly has a spreading habit on the ground, slightly ascending, forming spots 40 to 60 cm in diameter.

Underground system

Deep and strong taproot.

Stem

Cylindrical and full stem, quickly spread on the ground. It is densely covered with silvered navicular hairs, applied, giving a silver gray color to the stem.

Leaves

The leaves are alternate and simple. They are very short stalked. At the base of the petiole are 2 linear stipules 2 to 3 mm long. The lamina is elliptic to narrowly oblong or obovate. It is 6 to 25 mm long and 2 to 6 mm wide. The base and the summit are in acute corner, the summit is mucroné. Both sides are covered with a pubescence of applied silver-colored navicular hairs.

Inflorescence

The flowers are arranged in small axillary clusters. These clusters, compact, 5 to 20 mm long, include 8 to 16 flowers.

Flower

The flowers are borne by a very short pedicel ascending from 0.5 to 0.8 mm and bloom one after the other. The calyx 1.5 to 2.5 mm long is formed of 5 linear and pubescent teeth, welded at the base. The corolla, 3 mm long, is red-orange to pink-carmine. The outer surface of the upper petal (standard) is pubescent. The nets of the 9 stamens are welded, the tenth is free.

Fruit

The fruit is a very small pod of globular form, 2 to 2.5 mm long covered with a silvery pubescence of applied navicular hairs. The pods contain only 1 seed.

Seed

Globular seeds, 1.2 to 1.5 mm in diameter. The integument is marbled.

Origin

Indigofera linifolia is native to East Africa, tropical Asia and Australia.

Worldwide distribution

It is present in many countries (China Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kashmir, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, Australia). It was introduced in New Caledonia in the middle of the 19th century, and recently in Reunion Island.

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/2971525