[/. anil L.]
(nat) ‘Iniko, ‘inikoa, kolu
Erect shrubs to 20-25 dm tall. Leaflets (7—)9—17, opposite, oblong, elliptic, or sometimes elliptic-obovate, 10-38 mm long, 3-15 mm wide, upper surface glabrous to sparsely strigose, lower surface moderately strigose. Flowers in racemes 2-4cm long; calyx ca. 1.5 mm long, teeth deltate; corolla salmon pink to red, 4-6 mm long. Pods linear, strongly curved upward, 15-20(-30) mm long, 2-3 mm wide, moderately strigillose. Seeds 4-6, dark brown, 1.7-2 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm wide. [2n =12, 16, 32.] Pantropical, but presumably of Neotropical origin, formerly used for indigo production; in Hawaii naturalized primarily in dry, highly disturbed areas, 3- 1,160 m, probably on all of the main islands, but not documented from Molokai. Introduced from Java in 1836 by a Dr. Serriere, who reportedly manufactured indigo of good quality from it (Hillebrand, 1888), but first noted by Nelson in 1779 (St. John, 1978e).—Plate 91.