Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Indigofera | > | hilaris |
Synonyms: |
Anila hilaris (Eckl. & Zeyh.) O. Kuntze Indigofera hirta E. Mey. Indigofera leipzigiae Bremek. |
Common names: | Gay indigofera (English) |
Frequency: | Frequent |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Perennial herb, dying back in winter, with stiffly erect or decumbent, ribbed stems, up to 40 cm tall, growing from a thick woody rootstock. Leaves pinnate mostly with 3-7 leaflets, upper leaves sometimes with more, basal leaves reduced, becoming scale-like; leaflets often folded; stipules 2-9 mm long, linear, stiffly erect. Inflorescences densely-flowered racemes 1.5-5 cm long, mostly appearing after fire. Flowers 7-8 mm long, bright pink to carmine. Pod 10-30 mm long, cylindric, straight, with whitish, reddish or brown appressed short hairs, shortly beaked with the persistent style base. |
Notes: | It is one of the most spectacular displays on the bare, blackened soil after a fire, when it blooms in large numbers before the leaves develop. |
Derivation of specific name: | hilaris: gay or cheerful, probably referring to the bright, colourful display of the flowers |
Habitat: | In open grassland on granite sands, often on rocky hillsides. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 700 - 2100 m |
Flowering time: | Sep - Nov |
Worldwide distribution: | Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Tuesday 8 June 2021 |
Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 93. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 163. as Indigofera hilaris microscypha Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 33. As Indigofera hilaris hilaris Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. As Indigofera hilaris hilaris Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 69. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 221. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 48. As Indigofera hilaris var. hilaris Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 58, plate 83 Schrire, B.D. (2012). Papilionoideae-Indigofereae Flora Zambesiaca 3(4) Pages 218 - 219. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Indigofera | > | hilaris |