Indigofera hirsuta

An erect or spreading annual, up to 1.5 m tall but generally shorter. Stems cylindrical or slightly ridged, densely clothed with long, fine, spreading, grey or reddish-brown pubescence. Stipules linear, setaceous, up to 1 cm long. Five to seven leaflets, occasionally nine, elliptical-oblong, up to 40 mm long and 25 mm wide, the terminal one rather longer than the lateral, pilose on both surfaces. Inflorescence a dense, many-flowered raceme, hirsute, 20 to 30 cm long, including a peduncle more than 25 mm long. Bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 25 mm long. Pedicels around 1 mm long, reflexed in fruit. Calyx stiff, brown and hirsute, about 4 mm long, divided almost to the base into linear, setaceous lobes. Corolla white pubescent outside, brick-red or rose inside. Pods straight, rather tetragonal, with well-developed sutures, 12 to 20 mm long about 2 mm wide, thickly hirsute, many of the hairs, especially the dorsal ones, usually brown. Six to nine seeds, cuboid, angular, strongly pitted (FAO, 2013). In China, flowers July-September and fruits between October and December (e Floras, 2013).