Taxon: Indigofera hendecaphylla Jacq.

Summary

Genus:

Indigofera

Family:

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)

Subfamily:

Faboideae

Tribe:

Indigofereae

Nomen number:

311585

Place of publication:

Icon. pl. rar. 3: t. 570. 1789 Mar ("1786-1793"); Collectanea 2:358. 1789 Apr ("1788")

Verified:

09/14/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

16 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Indigofera endecaphylla Jacq. ex Poir., orth. var.
Indigofera neglecta N. E. Br.

Invalid Designation(s)
Indigofera spicata auct., pro parte majore

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Barbosa, C. 1994. Contribución al conocimiento de las leguminosas colombianas. I. La tribu Galegeae (Brown) Torrey & Gray, 1838 sensu lato. Trianea 5:28. Note: lists as "endecaphylla"
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Du Puy, D. J. et al. 1993. The separation of two previously confused species in the Indigofera spicata complex (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae). Kew Bull. 48:727-733.
Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:156-158.
Gillett, J. B. 1958. Indigofera (Microcharis) in tropical Africa: with the related genera Cyamopsis and Rhynchotropis. Kew Bull. add. ser., 1:1-166. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: = "Indigofera endecaphylla", poisonous
Kort, I. de & G. Thijsse. 1984. A revision of the genus Indigofera (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Southeast Asia. Blumea 30:132. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Indigofera spicata
Sanjappa, M. 1995. Leguminosae - Papilionoideae tribe Indigoferae. In: Botanical Survey of India, Fascicles of flora of India. 21:160.
Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Thulin, M. 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot. 68:1-223. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Verdcourt, B. 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Weakley, A. S. et al. 2018. New combinations, rank changes, and nomenclatural and taxonomic comments in the vascular flora of the southeastern United States. III. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 20:27-67. Note: See page 45, all 70 accessions from SE U.S.A. labeled as Indigofera hendecaphylla represent instead toxic Indigofera spicata Forssk.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	creeping indigo		1	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:156-158.
English	spicate indigo	as Indigofera spicata	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Indigofera spicata
English	trailing indigo		1	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:156-158.
Spanish	añil rastrero		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Indigofera spicata

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Chad			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Djibouti			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Malawi			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zambia			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zimbabwe			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini			Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea-Bissau			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mali			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Niger			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Burundi			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Central African Republic			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Congo			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Equatorial Guinea			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Gabon			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Rwanda			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Sao Tome and Principe			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Comoros			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion			Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng	w.	Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	Hong Kong
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bangladesh			Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Andhra Pradesh		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Bihar		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Gujarat		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Karnataka		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Kerala		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Madhya Pradesh		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Maharashtra		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Manipur		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Odisha		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Rajasthan		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Tamil Nadu		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	West Bengal		Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Cambodia			Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar			Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand			Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Brunei Darussalam
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea
1	Native	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	French Polynesia	Society Islands	Tahiti
1	Native	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Fiji			Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Comoros, Madagascar, Reunion

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Guangdong Sheng, Yunnan Sheng (w.)], Hong Kong
EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, India [Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka], Sri Lanka
PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
MALESIA: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Pacific

SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: French Polynesia [Society Islands (Tahiti)]
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)

Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	soil improver		Gillett, J. B. 1958. Indigofera (Microcharis) in tropical Africa: with the related genera Cyamopsis and Rhynchotropis. Kew Bull. add. ser., 1:1-166. Note: = Indigofera spicata Forssk.
Materials	tannin/dyestuff	as Indigofera spicata	Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	to livestock	Du Puy, D. J. et al. 1993. The separation of two previously confused species in the Indigofera spicata complex (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae). Kew Bull. 48:727-733.
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	to livestock, as "Indigofera endecaphylla"	Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: = "Indigofera endecaphylla", poisonous

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=311585. Accessed 12 May 2026.