Plains wild indigo
Also known as: long-bracted wild indigo
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect or ascending, much-branched above, silky-hairy.
- Leaves
- Alternate, nearly sessile, usually 3-foliolate; leaflets lanceolate, spatulate, or elliptic, 1 to 4 inches long, 1/4 to 1 inch wide; margins entire; tips rounded or pointed; stipules ovate to lanceolate, .75 to 1.5 inches long, about 1/3 size of leaflets; tips tapering to points.
- Inflorescence
- Racemes, showy, many-flowered, 4 to 8 inches long, terminal, bending downward.
- Flower
- Bracts oblong or lanceolate, .5 to 1.25 inch long; calyces 2-lipped, upper lip entire to 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, stiff-hairy; corollas papilionaceous, about 1 inch long, cream or pale yellow; banner not longer than wings; stamens 10, separate.
- Fruit
- Pods, oval, 1 to 2 inches long, beaked, pubescent; seeds about 1/6 inch long, brown to olive.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Sandy or rocky prairies, pastures and roadsides.
- Distribution
- East 1/2 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Toxicity
- The foliage of young plants can be poisonous to livestock if consumed in large quantities.
- Uses
- The Pawnee treated colic by rubbing a mixture of pulverized wild indigo seeds and bison fat on the abdomen.
Additional Notes
Comments
The roots of plains wild indigo can grow to 6 feet long.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Fabaceae - Bean Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 8-30 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-10-12
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: April, May