Anil indigo
StarIndigofera suffruticosa
Synonyms: Indigofera uncinata, Anil tinctoria var. brachycarpa, Anil tinctoria var. vera, Indigofera angolensis, Indigofera suffruticosa var. polyphylla, Indigofera suffruticosa var. uncinata, Indigofera anil var. drepanocarpa, Ononis anil, Indigofera suffruticosa f. obtusifolia, Indigofera suffruticosa var. canescens, Indigofera anil var. canescens, Anil divaricata, Indigofera cornezuelo, Indigofera anil var. polyphylla, Indigofera guatimala, Indigofera guatimalensis, Indigofera argentea var. caerulea, Indigofera tinctoria var. brachycarpa, Indigofera suffruticosa subsp. guatimalensis, Indigofera anil, Indigofera micrantha, Indigofera argentea
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Indigofera suffruticosa has a long history of medicinal use among Latin American indigenous and traditional peoples. The Maya of Mexico and Central America used leaf decoctions and poultices for skin infections, wounds, epilepsy and as a sedative; in Brazilian folk and Caboclo medicine the plant is employed as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and febrifuge (Coe and Anderson, 1996; Agra et al., 2007). It is also recorded in Mexican Nahua traditional pharmacopeia for febrile and skin conditions (Heinrich et al., 1998).
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Botanical Description
Indigofera suffruticosa, commonly known as anil, añil or West Indian indigo, is a perennial, somewhat woody-based subshrub or shrub of the family Fabaceae, native to tropical and subtropical America from Mexico and the Caribbean through Central America to northern South America, and now pantropical through cultivation as a dye plant. The plant typically reaches 0.5–2 m in height, with slender, sparingly branched, finely appressed-hairy stems. The leaves are alternate, imparipinnately compound, 5–10 cm long, with 7–15 opposite leaflets that are obovate to oblong-elliptic, 1–2.5 cm long, dull green above and paler grey-green beneath with appressed white hairs. Small, salmon to coppery-pink, pea-like flowers, 4–6 mm long, are arranged in short, dense axillary racemes 2–4 cm long, shorter than the leaves. The fruits are very characteristic: cylindrical, slightly curved (sickle-shaped) legumes 1.5–2 cm long, conspicuously inflated and turning blackish at maturity, each containing four to eight small reddish-brown seeds. The plant yields a deep blue dye on fermentation of the foliage.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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