Indigofera diphylla

Vent.

Fabaceae Edible: Leaves

gbif· cc-by

JNL

gbif· cc-by

JNL

gbif· cc-by

JNL

Description

A spreading, partly woody herb in the Fabaceae family found in dry sandy areas and fixed sand dunes of the Sahel, tolerating arid conditions.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used medicinally.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry sandy areas of the Sahel. It grows on fixed sand dunes. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Burkina Faso, East Africa, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, West Africa,

Cultivation

Indigoera species generally grow best in a sunny position, preferring a well-drained but moist soil. Many of the species will also succeed in drier conditions and in poor soils. We have seen no specific information for this species, but most members of the genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

Other Uses

The plant is the source of a blue dye. The leaves and twigs of Indigofera species do not actually contain indigo, but rather they contain colourless precursors that must be extracted and then processed in order to produce the indigo dye. The harvested leafy branches are placed in a tank containing water to which some lime has been added, and are weighted down with planks. After some hours of fermentation, during which enzymic hydrolysis leads to the formation of indoxyl, the liquid is drained off and then stirred continuously for several hours to stimulate oxidation of the indoxyl. Afterwards the solution is left to rest and the insoluble indigo settles to the bottom as a bluish sludge. The water is drained and after the indigo has dried, it is cut into cubes or made into balls. To dye textiles, indigo is reduced to a soluble form by a fermentation process under alkaline conditions. In traditional preparations of the dye, various reducing agents such as molasses are used, together with coconut-milk, bananas and the leaves of Psidium guajava. The alkalinity is maintained by adding lime. After the textile has been dipped into solution it turns blue when exposed to the air. Plants can be used to help stabilize sand dunes.