Botanical Name - Indigofera pulchella

----- Indigofera, Linn.; F.B.I. II-92. I. pulchella, Linn.; F.B.I. II-101. Brandi's Ind. Trees, 217. Gamble's Ind. Timbers, 231. Vern. Karkandi, Tel.

----- A large handsome shrub 10-12 ft. high, with glabrescent branchets. Leaves imparipinnate, 3-6 in. long; leaflets 13-21, opposite, often emarginate, 3/4-1 in. long, obovate-oblong, sub-coriaceous, pale green above, glaucous beneath, with grey hairs lying close on both surfaces. Flowers in bright red or rose coloured axillary raceme 1-4 in. long, short peduncled. Calyx small, campanulate. Corolla caducous; standard obovate; keel straight, spurred on each side near the base. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary sessile. Pod 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 in. long, atraight, swollen, glabrous, 8-12-seeded.

----- A very common shrub in most forests and very conspicuous with its bright red flowers. Cattle and horses are particularly fond of the tender twigs. The branches are ploughed into rice fields.

----- I. TINCTORIA, Linn.; F.B.I. II-99. Vern. Nil, Nila, Hind., is the " Indigo " plant, which yields the well-known and valuable dye, once commonly cultivated in many parts of Hyderabad, but seldom or not at all found in cultivation now.