Indigo vine, African indigo
Philenoptera cyanescens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A woody climber or straggling shrub. It can grow 2-3 m high as a bush when cultivated. It can grow 15-20 m long. The branches are silky when young. The flowers are reddish. They are in groups 25 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in coastal districts and forests. It in on the edge of savannah forests in West Africa. It can be along the edges of forests and mangroves.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, West Africa (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves - flavouring

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bumidi, Caro-ba, Gara, Malila-de-tinta, Mantenam-buamade, Mantenam, Tinta-grande, Yoruba indigo

Synonyms

Robinia cyanescens Schumach. & Thonn.; Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Schumach. & Thonn.) Benth.;