Taxon:  Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R. Br.



Summary
Genus:
Baptisia
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Thermopsideae
Nomen number:
6490
Place of publication:
W. T. Aiton, Hortus kew. ed. 2, 3:6.  1811 (É. P. Ventenat, Dec. gen. nov. 9.  1808, nom. inval.)
Comment:
  • Ventenat did not make this combination, he cited Sophora tinctoria L. under Baptisia
  • the generic treatment and species description in Hortus kewensis is attributed to "Brown mss." so he is the author of the name (see Shenzhen ICN Art. 46 Ex. 25)
Verified:
07/14/2014 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
11 (8  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Sophora tinctoria L.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Beetle, A. A. 1970. Recommended plant names. Univ. Wyoming Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. J. 31
  2. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  3. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  4. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  5. Isely, D. 1981. Leguminosae of the United States. III. Subfamily Papilionoideae: tribes Sophoreae, Podalyrieae, and Loteae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(3):87. Note: lists as Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Vent.
  6. Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
  7. Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois. Note: lists as Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Vent.
  8. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  9. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: lists as Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Vent.
  10. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  11. Munro, D. B. Canadian poisonous plants information system (on-line resource).
  12. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  13. Radford, A. E. et al., eds. 1980-. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States.
  14. Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
  15. Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
  16. Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
  17. Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
  18. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishhorseflyweed  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: lists as Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Vent.
Englishindigo-broom  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishrattleweed  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: lists as Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Vent.
Englishwild indigo  1McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Englishyellow wild indigo  1Beetle, A. A. 1970. Recommended plant names. Univ. Wyoming Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. J. 31
Englishyellow-broom  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaOntario Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesWisconsins.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesConnecticut Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMaines.w.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMassachusetts Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMichigans.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesNew Hampshires.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesNew Jersey Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesNew Yorks.e.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesOhion.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesPennsylvania Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesRhode Island Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesVermonts.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesWest Virginia Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesDelaware Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesGeorgia Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesKentuckye.Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesMaryland Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesNorth Carolina Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesSouth Carolina Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesTennessee Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesVirginia Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
Native
Northern America
  • EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Ontario]
  • NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Maine (s.w.), Massachusetts, Michigan (s.), New Hampshire (s.), New Jersey, New York (s.e.), Ohio (n.), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont (s.), West Virginia]
  • NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Wisconsin (s.)]
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky (e.), Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
  2. Turner, B. L. 2006. Overview of the genus Baptisia (Leguminosae). Phytologia 88:255-256.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Materialstannin/dyestuff Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
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=6490. Accessed 17 April 2026.