Indigofera caroliniana

Indigofera caroliniana
Photo by Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae
Genus:	Indigofera
Species:	I. caroliniana
Binomial name
Indigofera caroliniana Mill.
Natural range of Indigofera caroliniana from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Carolina indigo

Description

Where this species is found, it is frequent (FSU Herbarium).

"Suffruticose herb 0.5-1.2 (2) m tall. Leaves odd-pinnate, 5-10 cm long with a slightly strigillose rachis; leaflets 9-15, mostly obovate to oblanceolate, 1-2.5 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, minutely strigillose on both surfaces, trichomes appearing as though attached at their middle, estipellate. Racemes pedunculate, axillary or terminal, 6-20 cm long usually longer than subtending leaf, slender, with numerous, loosely arranged flowers; pedicel ca. 1 mm long, subtended by a triangular, subulate bract 0.8-1 mm long, lobes 0.20.4 mm long; petals pinkish to yellowish brown, the standard and keel 5-6 mm long, the wings 1-2 mm shorter and adherent to the laterally pouched keel petals; stamens diadelphous, 9 and 1, with the connective extended above the anthers. Legume 5-10 mm long, short-stipitate, beaked, 1-3 seeded." - Radford et al 1964

Ecology

Habitat

It is found along the edges of flatwoods, mixed woodlands, upland ridges, deciduous forests, slash pine-hardwood stands, sand pine scrub, and sand ridges (FSU Herbarium). This species grows in sand and sandy loam in open areas (FSU Herbarium). This species also occurs outside of its natural environments in human disturbed areas such as open fields, bulldozed scrub oak sand hills, clobbered slash pine and hardwood fields, and wood pastures (FSU Herbarium). Associated species include Longleaf pine, Turkey oak, Slash pine, Sand live oak, myrtle oak, sand pine, chapman oak, Cuthbertia, Rhynchosia, and Pediomelium, Shortleaf pine, red oak, Mockernut hickory, Wiregrass, and Bluejack oak (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

This species has been observed flowering June through July and fruiting June through September (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

This species occurs in areas that is burned (FSU Herbarium)

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Indigofera caroliniana at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Halictidae: Lasioglossum placidensis

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum perplexus

Use by animals

Deyrup observed these bees, Anthidiellum notatuin rufimaculatum, A. perplexum,Megachile albitarsis on I. caroliniana.

References and notes

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Loran C. Anderson, James R. Burkhalter, R.K. Godfrey, R. C. Phillips, C. Jackson, R L Lazor, Sidney McDaniel, Richard S. Mitchell, R. Kral, D. B. Ward, J. Beckner, O. Lakela, L. J. Brass, Roland McKee, Rodie White, Andre F. Clewell, R. Komarek, Richard R. Clinebell II, Cecil R Slaughter, B. E. Smith, R. L. Wilbur, William B. Fox, L. A. Whitford, James W. Hardin, Wilbur H Duncan, Ted Bradley, John Stevenson, H. R. Reed, John B. Nelson, A. Goodyear, R. Wetmore, Brian R. Keener, and Wayne K. Webb. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Collier, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Jackson, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Taylor, Wakulla, and Walton. Georgia: Grady, McIntosh, Thomas, and Tift. South Carolina: Darlington. North Carolina: Bladen, Brunswick, Richland, and Sampson. Alabama: Henry, Mobile, and Wilcox.

Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 624. Print.