NAME: WHITE WILD INDIGO
Baptisia leucantha
DESCRIPTION:
Leaf: Smooth, petioled, trioliolate, becoming black upon drying.
The leavelets are obovate, 1 to 2 cm long, and about half as wide as long.
Flower: Racemes are 30 cm long and loosely flowered. Each flower
is about 1 cm long, white, and typically pea-shaped.
Present June and July.
Stem: Attains a height of one meter.
DISCUSSION:
Produces a dye used for indigo color. Both the
leaves and the fruits are boiled for this color.
DISTRIBUTION:
Occurs in both prairies and woods, from Michigan to Minnesota,
south to Texas and Mississippi.
IMAGES:
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COPYRIGHT:
© Copyright 2002, L&T Natural Images
and Madsion Jr. High, all rights reserved. Contact information: email at lcwik@naperville203.org or tcoutts@naperville203.org
REFERENCES:
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie Pants of
Illinois.
Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 1985.
Young, Dick. Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas. 2nd
ed. Geneva, Il:
Kane County Illinois Forest Preserve District, 1994.
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