Indigofera tsiangiana – Birdsville Indigo

Larval Host Plant

Freyeria putli – Black-spotted Grass Jewel

BOI-ppa957 , BOI-ppa958 , BOI-ppa959 , BOI-ppa960 BOI-ppa737

Other notes

Other Name Combinations: Indigofera linnaei (WFO 2024).

Natural History: Native Perennial Herb.
It is a perennial trailing herb found in tropical Asia to Australia, characterized by its mat-forming habit and compound leaves comprising 5-9 oblong, velvety leaflets. Its pea-like flowers are bright red, emerging in axillary dense clusters. The fruits are 2-seeded velvety pods (Flowers of India 2024).
The common name "Birdsville Indigo" may stem from its distribution in the town of Birdsville, Australia, or its association with Birdsville Disease in horses.

Vernacular Names: Bengali: Bhonyagali (ভোনিয়াগলি), Bhuiguli (ভুইগুলি), Latahai (লতাহাই), Nil gach (নীল গাছ), Phatakiya (ফাটাকিয়া);  Gujarati: Bhonyagali (ભોંયગળી);  Hindi: Pandarphali (पाण्डरफली);  Kannada: Chenna gida (ಚೆನ್ನೆ ಗಿಡ), Kenneggilu (ಕೆನ್ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು), Kirineggilu (ಕಿರಿನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು);  Malayalam: Cempullati (ചെം‌പുള്ളടി);  Marathi: Bhingule (भिंगुले), Bhuimuli (भुईमुळी);  Odia: Latahai (ଲଟାହାଇ);  Rajasthani: Bekario (बेकरियौ);  Sanskrit: Hamsapadi (हंसपादी);  Tamil: Ceruppu-nerunci (செருப்புநெருஞ்சி), Cilapeci (சிலாபேசி), Ciru-nerunci (சிறுநெருஞ்சி);  Telugu: Chalapachi (చలపచ్చి), Cherragaddamu (చెర్రగడ్డము), Verrapalleru (యెర్ర పల్లేరు) (Flowers of India 2024).

References:
Flowers of India (2024): Birdsville Indigo. Accessed on 05 Mar 2024. URL: http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Birdsville%20Indigo.html. [cited as I. linnaei]
Nitin, R., V. C. Balakrishnan, P. V. Churi, S. Kalesh, S. Prakash, and K. Kunte. (2018). Larval host plants of the butterflies of the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 10(4):11495–11550. DOI: 10.11609/jott.3104.10.4.11495-11550. [cited as I. linnaei]
WFO (2024): Indigofera tsiangiana Metcalf. Accessed on 05 Mar 2024. URL: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001056121.

Page citation

Kawthankar, N. 2024. Indigofera tsiangiana Metcalf – Birdsville Indigo. In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/indigofera-tsiangiana, accessed 2024/05/03.