Herbs, perennial, densely strigu­lose to glabrate, hairs appressed. Stems prostrate, often mat-forming, branching freely, 1–3 dm. Leaves 1–7.5 cm; stipules deltate to lanceolate, 5–7(–9) mm; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm; stipels absent or of a few hairs; petio­lules 1 mm; leaflets 3–9, alter­nate, blades obovate to broadly oblanceolate, 5–30 × 2–18 mm, terminal leaflet usually larger than laterals, base cuneate, apex rounded to truncate, surfaces strigu­lose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles 0.5–1 cm. Racemes 20–40+-flowered, dense, 4–9 cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 mm. Flowers 6–8 mm; calyx 2.5–4 mm, lobes subulate; corolla pinkish salmon to pale carmine. Legumes brown, deflexed, cylindric, straight, 10–20 mm, leathery, strigulose. Seeds 4–9, greenish, cuboid. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering year-round.
Habitat: Disturbed, ruderal areas, roadsides, lawns, hammocks, beaches.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Fla., Ga., S.C., Africa, introduced also in Mexico, West Indies (Bahamas, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands), Central America, South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana), Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia.

Discussion

Indigofera spicata has been confused with I. hendecaphylla Jacquin (sometimes spelled incorrectly as endecaphylla); distinctions between them were clarified by D. J. Du Puy et al. (1993) and A. S. Weakley et al (2018). The former is toxic to some grazing animals and has been linked to a fatal central nervous system syndrome in horses (J. F. Morton 1989).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.