Tephrosia pumila – Indigo Sauvage

Other notes

Natural History: Native Annual Herb.
It is a creeping herb with velvety-hairy compound leaves, distributed from tropical Africa to northern Australia. The flowers are pea-like, white or sometimes with a pinkish tinge, and are clustered in 1-3 flowered racemes. The fruits are flat, oblong, velvety-hairy pods. Flowering occurs almost throughout the year (Flowers of India 2024; WFO 2024).

Note: This plant has been recorded as a new larval host plant for Freyeria putli – Black-spotted Grass Jewel and Zizina otis – Lesser Grass Blue by Rajesh Prabhakar Mahajan from Vadodara, Gujarat in April 2020. (note added on 22 Jan. 2024)

References:
Flowers of India (2024): Indigo Sauvage. Accessed on: 21 Jan. 2024. URL: https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Indigo%20Sauvage.html
WFO (2024): Tephrosia pumila (Lam.) Pers. Accessed on 21 Jan. 2024. URL: https://wfoplantlist.org/taxon/wfo-0000203766-2023-12

Page citation

Mahajan, R. P., and N. Kawthankar. 2024. Tephrosia pumila (Lam.) Pers. – Indigo Sauvage. 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/tephrosia-pumila, accessed 2024/12/02.