Indigofera australis

Family Fabaceae

Australian Indigo

Spreading shrub to 2.5 m high, leaves pinnate 4–10 cm long, usually with 11–25 leaflets.

Flowers: Mauve pea flowers, visited by Honey Bees.

Fruit: Pod 25–45 mm long with numerous spotted seeds, expelled vigorously by drying, twisting pod, mature November – July.

Seed: Oblong to cube shaped hard coated seed. Local dispersal only. Physical dormancy, germinate readily after scarification.

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Woodland habitat, mid-shade to full sun.
• Rare, localised in woodland remnants at the Australian Botanic Garden.
• Regrows and suckers from rootstocks and lateral roots after fire.
• Legumes reported to have nitrogen fixing Rhizobium nodules on roots.