''Baptisia'' (wild indigo, false indigo) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. They are flowering

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s with pea-like flowers, followed by pods, which are sometimes inflated. They are

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to woodland and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

in eastern and southern North America. The species most commonly found in cultivation is '' B. australis''. ''Baptisia'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species, including the jaguar flower moth, '' Schinia jaguarina''.

Species

''Baptisia'' comprises the following species: * '' Baptisia alba'' (L.) Vent.—white wild indigo ** var. ''alba'' (L.) Vent. ** var. ''macrophylla'' (Larisey) Isely * '' Baptisia albescens'' Small * '' Baptisia arachnifera'' W.H. Duncan—cobwebby wild indigo, hairy rattleweed (limited to two counties in southeastern

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

) * ''

Baptisia australis ''Baptisia australis'', commonly known as blue wild indigo or blue false indigo, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae (legumes). It is a perennial herb native to much of central and eastern North America and is particularly common in the M ...

'' (L.) R. Br.—blue false indigo, blue wild indigo ** var. ''australis'' (L.) R. Br. ** var. ''minor'' (Lehm.) Fernald * '' Baptisia bicolor'' Greenm. & Larisey * '' Baptisia bracteata'' Elliott—longbract wild indigo, Plains wild indigo ** var. ''bracteata'' Elliott ** var. ''glabrescens'' (Larisey) Isely ** var. ''laevicaulis'' (Canby) Isely ** var. ''leucophaea'' (Nutt.) Kartesz & Gandhi * '' Baptisia calycosa'' Canby—Florida wild indigo ** var. ''calycosa'' Canby ** var. ''villosa'' Canby * '' Baptisia cinerea'' (Raf.) Fernald & B.G. Schub.—grayhairy wild indigo * '' Baptisia deamii'' Larisey * '' Baptisia fragilis'' Larisey * '' Baptisia fulva'' Larisey * '' Baptisia intercalata'' Larisey * '' Baptisia intermedia'' Larisey * '' Baptisia lanceolata'' (Walter) Elliott—gopherweed (Georgia,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

) ** var. ''lanceolata'' (Walter) Elliott ** var. ''tomentosa'' (Larisey) Isely * '' Baptisia lecontei'' Torr. & A. Gray—pineland wild indigo * '' Baptisia macilenta'' Small ex Larisey * '' Baptisia megacarpa'' Torr. & A. Gray—Apalachicola wild indigo * '' Baptisia microphylla'' Nutt. * ''

Baptisia nuttalliana ''Baptisia nuttalliana'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Nuttall's wild indigo. It is found in the south-central United States. References nuttalliana {{Sophoreae-stub ...

'' Small—Nuttall's wild indigo * '' Baptisia perfoliata'' (L.) R. Br.—catbells * '' Baptisia pinetorum'' Larisey * '' Baptisia serenae'' M.A. Curtis * '' Baptisia simplicifolia'' Croom—scareweed * '' Baptisia sphaerocarpa'' Nutt.—yellow wild indigo, green wild indigo, round wild indigo * '' Baptisia stricta'' Larisey * '' Baptisia sulphurea'' Engelm. * '' Baptisia tinctoria'' (L.) Vent.—rattleweed, wild indigo, horseflyweed, indigo-broom, yellow broom

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Baptisia auriculata'' Sweet * ''Baptisia lupinoides'' Burb. * ''Baptisia retusa'' Raf.

Hybrids

The following hybrids have been described: * ''Baptisia x bicolor'' * ''Baptisia'' × ''bushii'' Small * ''Baptisia x deamii'' * ''Baptisia x microphylla'' * ''Baptisia x serenae'' * ''Baptisia x sulphurae'' * ''Baptisia'' ×''variicolor'' Kosnik, ''et al''. (''Baptisia australis'' × ''Baptisia sphaerocarpa'')

References

Fabaceae genera Flora of Northern America {{Sophoreae-stub

Species

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

Hybrids

See also

References