Lonchocarpus cyanescens (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Schum. & Thonn.) Benth.
- Family: Leguminosae
Vernacular names
- Yoruba indigo, West African indigo (En).
Distribution
West Africa; also cultivated there. Introduced in Peninsular Malaysia.
Uses
From leaves and young twigs, and sometimes also fruits, a dark dye is prepared which is used in West Africa to dye cloth, leather, matting and hair. The plant is also used in traditional medicine.
Observations
A woody climbing or straggling shrub, in cultivation a shrub about 2.5 m tall, having pinnately compound leaves and large panicles of reddish flowers turning blue. Just like the "true" indigo (Indigofera spp.), yoruba indigo contains indican which can be hydrolized and oxidized to indigo-blue of good quality. It is reported to grow well in Malaysia.
Selected sources
12, 15, 26, 31, 40, 49.