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Indian indigo

Submitted by admin on 22 April 2025
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Scientific name
Indigofera tinctoria L.
English Name
Indian indigo
Malayalam name
നീലയമരി
Common name
Indigo

Description

  1. Habit : Shrub
  2. Habitat : Degraded forest areas, also in the plains
  3. Leaves : pinnately 5-13 foliolate; leaflets opposite
  4. Flowers : red
  5. Petals : reddish
How to use
  1. Asthma : Root crushed with black pepper taken to cure asthma.
  2. Hair Growth : Indigo powder, when mixed with hair oil and massaged into the scalp, fortifies hair follicles, preventing hair fall and promoting volume and growth.
  3. Used for treating metal and arsenic poisoning, poisonous mushroom consumption, and bites from animals and insects.
Uses

Febrifuge, sedative and expectorant

Parts used
Root, Stem, Leaves
Conservation

Propagation & Cultivation

It is propagated through seeds.Seedlings are raised in nursery mother beds or polybags of 25 cm × 20 cm size filled with potting mixture of soil, sand and farmyard manure. Seeds germinate in about 4–5 days.Harvested branches are often pounded to a soft pulp and made into balls, which are sold in the market after drying.