Sagino
Indigofera atropurpurea

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 3.5 m tall. The branches are hairy when young. The leaves are 15-23 cm long. The leaves have an odd number of leaflets. There ate 11-17 leaflets. These are oval and dark green. The flowers are pinkish. The pod is narrow and stiff. It is 2.5-3.8 cm long. There are 6-10 seeds.

There are about 500-700 Indigofera species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in scrub on mountains and near streams between 300-1,900 m above sea level in southern China. In Nepal it grows between 700-3200 m altitude. It grows on open hillsides. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sikkim, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The flowers are boiled as a vegetable and also pickled.

Edible parts

Flowers, pod

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds.

In China plants flower in May to September and fruit in August to December.

Its other names

Local names

Cham den-tia, Jhimiliya, Kathi, Meyaing, Sakhino

Synonyms

Indigofera cassioides Rott. ex DC.; Indigofera elliptica Roxb.; Indigofera hamiltonii Graham ex Duthie & Prain.; Indigofera leptostachya DC; Indigofera violacea Roxb.;