Indigofera spicata, also known as creeping indigo or trailing indigo, is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, and Yemen, and has been introduced to various other regions such as the southeastern United States, Caribbean islands, Brazil, and Pacific islands. It was initially thought to be a promising forage plant, but later discovered to be toxic to most livestock. However, there is some confusion as it is possible that the experiments were conducted on a similar species, Indigofera hendecaphylla. There are currently two accepted varieties of Indigofera spicata.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Anil spicata	(Forssk.) Kuntze	Revis. Gen. Pl.2: 940 (1891)

Common names Top

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Filter by language:

Language	Common/alternative name
Chinese	穗花木藍
Chinese	十一叶木蓝
Chinese	穗序木蓝
Chinese	穗花木蓝

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Name	Authority	First published in
Indigofera spicata var. brevicarpa	J.B.Gillett	Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 33: 34 (1959)
Indigofera spicata var. spicata		Unknown

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Africa click to expand
- East Tropical Africa
  - Kenya
  - Tanzania
  - Uganda
- Northeast Tropical Africa
  - Chad
  - Djibouti
  - Eritrea
  - Ethiopia
  - Sudan
- South Tropical Africa
  - Angola
  - Malawi
  - Mozambique
  - Zambia
  - Zimbabwe
- Southern Africa
  - Cape Provinces
  - Kwazulu-Natal
  - Northern Provinces
  - Swaziland
- West Tropical Africa
  - Benin
  - Burkina
  - Ghana
  - Guinea
  - Guinea-Bissau
  - Ivory Coast
  - Liberia
  - Mali
  - Niger
  - Nigeria
  - Senegal
  - Togo
- West-central Tropical Africa
  - Burundi
  - Cameroon
  - Central African Republic
  - Congo
  - Equatorial Guinea
  - Gabon
  - Gulf Of Guinea Islands
  - Rwanda
  - Zaïre
- Western Indian Ocean
  - Madagascar
  - Mauritius
  - Réunion

Asia-temperate click to expand
- Arabian Peninsula
  - Yemen

Australasia click to expand
- Australia
  - New South Wales
  - Queensland

Northern America click to expand
- Southeastern U.S.A.
  - Alabama
  - Florida

Pacific click to expand
- South-central Pacific
  - Cook Islands
  - Society Islands
- Southwestern Pacific
  - Nauru
  - New Caledonia

Southern America click to expand
- Brazil
  - Brazil Northeast
  - Brazil Southeast
  - Brazil West-central
- Caribbean
  - Jamaica
  - Leeward Islands
  - Puerto Rico
  - Windward Islands
- Central America
  - Costa Rica
  - Nicaragua
- Western South America
  - Bolivia
  - Colombia

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!

Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000195409
Florida Plant Atlas	1817
Flora of Alabama	5382
Tropicos	13021056
INPN	629904
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:500027-1
The Plant List	ild-4200
Open Tree Of Life	768126
NCBI Taxonomy	520841
Nature Serve	2.137288
IPNI	500027-1
iNaturalist	164063
GBIF	2971635
EPPO	INDSP
EOL	684276
USDA GRIN	20052
Wikipedia	Indigofera_spicata
CMAUP	NPO22730

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Latrine site selection by African clawless otters, Aonyx capensis, and their behavior during latrine visitations

Nicolaides SG, Mostert TH, McIntyre T

J Mammal

17-Jan-2024

PMCID:	PMC10838015
doi:	10.1093/jmammal/gyad118
PMID:	38314440

Legume-nodulating rhizobia are widespread in soils and plants across the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i

Abe JN, Dhungana I, Nguyen NH

PLoS One

11-Sep-2023

PMCID:	PMC10495000
doi:	10.1371/journal.pone.0291250
PMID:	37695782

Companion Plants of Tea: From Ancient to Terrace to Forest

Wu H, Long X, Geng Y

Plants (Basel)

25-Aug-2023

PMCID:	PMC10490072
doi:	10.3390/plants12173061
PMID:	37687308

Strategies for the discovery of potential anticancer agents from plants collected from Southeast Asian tropical rainforests as a case study

de Blanco EJ, Addo EM, Rakotondraibe HL, Soejarto DD, Kinghorn AD

Nat Prod Rep

19-Jul-2023

PMCID:	PMC10524867
doi:	10.1039/d2np00080f
PMID:	37194649

Antidiarrheal activities of methanolic crude extract and solvent fractions of the root of Verbascum sinaiticum Benth. (Scrophularaceae) in mice

Worku SA, Tadesse SA, Abdelwuhab M, Asrie AB

Heliyon

25-May-2023

PMCID:	PMC10241862
doi:	10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16386
PMID:	37287619

Phytochemistry and pharmacology of natural prenylated flavonoids

Lv HW, Wang QL, Luo M, Zhu MD, Liang HM, Li WJ, Cai H, Zhou ZB, Wang H, Tong SQ, Li XN

Arch Pharm Res

14-Apr-2023

PMCID:	PMC10101826
doi:	10.1007/s12272-023-01443-4
PMID:	37055613

Medicinal Uses of the Fabaceae Family in Zimbabwe: A Review

Maroyi A

Plants (Basel)

10-Mar-2023

PMCID:	PMC10051751
doi:	10.3390/plants12061255
PMID:	36986943

Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches

Mutie FM, Mbuni YM, Rono PC, Mkala EM, Nzei JM, Phumthum M, Hu GW, Wang QF

Plants (Basel)

02-Mar-2023

PMCID:	PMC10005506
doi:	10.3390/plants12051145
PMID:	36904005

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants utilized in the management of candidiasis in Northern Uganda

Akwongo B, Katuura E, Nsubuga AM, Tugume P, Andama M, Anywar G, Namaganda M, Asimwe S, Kakudidi EK

Trop Med Health

14-Oct-2022

PMCID:	PMC9569084
doi:	10.1186/s41182-022-00471-y
PMID:	36242066

Medicinal plants used in traditional treatment of malaria in Ethiopia: a review of ethnomedicine, anti-malarial and toxicity studies

Nigussie G, Wale M

Malar J

10-Sep-2022

PMCID:	PMC9463824
doi:	10.1186/s12936-022-04264-w
PMID:	36088324

Antimalarial Activity of Crude Extract and Solvent Fractions of Leaves of Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae) against Plasmodium berghei in Mice

Melese Birru E, Adela Alemu M, Tsegaw Weredekal A, Belay Asrie A, Geta Mengistie M

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med

18-Jul-2022

PMCID:	PMC10718905
doi:	10.1155/2022/3426175
PMID:	38094220

A Complete Review of Mexican Plants with Teratogenic Effects

Chamorro-Cevallos G, Mojica-Villegas MA, García-Martínez Y, Pérez-Gutiérrez S, Madrigal-Santillán E, Vargas-Mendoza N, Morales-González JA, Cristóbal-Luna JM

Plants (Basel)

24-Jun-2022

PMCID:	PMC9268836
doi:	10.3390/plants11131675
PMID:	35807626

Ethnobotany of traditional medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge in Dawuro Zone of Southwestern Ethiopia

Agize M, Asfaw Z, Nemomissa S, Gebre T

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed

21-Jun-2022

PMCID:	PMC9210772
doi:	10.1186/s13002-022-00546-4
PMID:	35729583

Trouble for Horses in Paradise: Toxicity and Fatality Resulting from the Consumption of Indigofera spicata (Fabaceae) on Oahu Island

Ramadan MM, Dailey D

Vet Sci

04-Jun-2022

PMCID:	PMC9230839
doi:	10.3390/vetsci9060271
PMID:	35737323

Ethnopharmacological Study of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Associated Risk Factors in sub-Saharan Africa

Odukoya JO, Odukoya JO, Mmutlane EM, Ndinteh DT

Plants (Basel)

23-May-2022

PMCID:	PMC9143319
doi:	10.3390/plants11101387
PMID:	35631812

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acids
Benzoic Acid	243	Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(=O)O	122.12	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides
2-[[3,4-Dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-6-[4-(3-hydroxybutyl)-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol	73100600	Click to see CC1=C(C(CC(C1)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)COC3C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)O)O)(C)C)CCC(C)O	506.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1038/217354A0
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alpha amino acids / L-alpha-amino acids
Indospicine	108010	Click to see C(CCC(=N)N)CC(C(=O)O)N	173.21	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1038/217354A0 https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9700831
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Tricarboxylic acids and derivatives
Karakin	100274	Click to see C(C[N+](=O)[O-])C(=O)OCC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC(=O)CC[N+](=O)[O-])OC(=O)CC[N+](=O)[O-])O)O	483.34	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600540809
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / 8-prenylated flavans / 8-prenylated flavanones
(+)-Purpurin	44559427	Click to see CC(=O)OC1C2C(OC3=CC(=C4C(=O)CC(OC4=C23)C5=CC=CC=C5)OC)OC1(C)C	424.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
(2S)-2,3-Dihydrotephroglabrin	72189489	Click to see CC1(C(=O)C(=CO1)C2=C(C=CC3=C2OC(CC3=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)OC)C	364.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones
Luteolin	5280445	Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O	286.24	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols
Kaempferol	5280863	Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O	286.24	unknown	via CMAUP database
Morin	5281670	Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1O)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O	302.23	unknown	via CMAUP database
Myricetin	5281672	Click to see C1=C(C=C(C(=C1O)O)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O	318.23	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
Avicularin	5490064	Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O	434.30	unknown	via CMAUP database
Quercetin 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside	5320861	Click to see C1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=C(OC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O	434.30	unknown	via CMAUP database
Quercitrin	5280459	Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=C(OC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O	448.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids
(2S)-7-methoxy-8-[(E)-3-methoxy-3-methylbut-1-enyl]-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one	73349082	Click to see CC(C)(C=CC1=C(C=CC2=C1OC(CC2=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)OC)OC	352.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
(2S)-8-[(E)-3-hydroxy-3-methylbut-1-enyl]-7-methoxy-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one	52316190	Click to see CC(C)(C=CC1=C(C=CC2=C1OC(CC2=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)OC)O	338.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Rotenoids / Rotenones
Rotenolone	68184	Click to see CC(=C)C1CC2=C(O1)C=CC3=C2OC4COC5=CC(=C(C=C5C4(C3=O)O)OC)OC	410.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
Rotenone	6758	Click to see CC(=C)C1CC2=C(O1)C=CC3=C2OC4COC5=CC(=C(C=C5C4C3=O)OC)OC	394.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
Tephrosin	114909	Click to see CC1(C=CC2=C(O1)C=CC3=C2OC4COC5=CC(=C(C=C5C4(C3=O)O)OC)OC)C	410.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Linear 1,3-diarylpropanoids / Chalcones and dihydrochalcones / Furanochalcones
(+)-Tephropurpurin	10047971	Click to see CC(=O)OC1C2C(OC3=CC(=C(C(=C23)O)C(=O)C=CC4=CC=CC=C4)OC)OC1(C)C	424.40	unknown	via CMAUP database
CID 73352153	73352153	Click to see CC1(C(C2C(O1)OC3=C2C(=C(C=C3)C(=O)C=CC4=CC=CC=C4)O)O)C	352.40	unknown	via CMAUP database

Biological Material Top

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Indigofera spicata

Table of Contents

Details Top

Description Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Biological Material Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top