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Indigofera linnaei
Also called Nine Leaf Indigo
Indigofera tsiangiana, synonym Indigofera linnaei, known as Birdsville indigo and nine-leaved indigo, is a species of leguminous shrub in the genus Indigofera (family Fabaceae).
It is found in Sudan and throughout much of tropical Asia, extending through the various archipelagos to Australia, where it is widespread in the northern part of the continent.
It took considerable time before it was recognised as the plant which gave horses the "Birdsville" disease (a disease of horses in arid and semi-arid Australia), with the causal agent being suspected by Everist as being indospicene or possibly cavananine. However, current research indicates that the neurotoxic effects on horses with Birdsville disease are due to the neurotoxin 3 nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), with horses less susceptible than cattle to the hepatotoxic effects of indospicene. The neurotoxic effect on horses generally occurs just after the rains, because I. tsiangiana responds more quickly to moisture than other species.
Nonetheless, indospicene (also spelled indospicine) accumulates in the tissues of grazing livestock after ingestion of Indigofera, causing both liver degeneration and abortion across animal species but the degree varies considerably between species. The magnitude of sensitivity in dogs is such that consumption of indospicine-contaminated horse and camel meat has caused secondary poisoning of dogs.
It is found in Sudan, throughout much of tropical Asia (Assam,Tamilnadu, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, China, Himalaya, Hainan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Thailand, and Vietnam), and in Australia. Within Australia it is found in Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, and South Australia.
Tick Indigo · Pink Flowered Indigo · Indigofera ammobia · Natal indigo · Indigofera astragalina · Australian indigo · Basedow's Indigo · Indigofera candicans · Carolina indigo · Indigofera cassioides · Indigofera cordifolia · Chinese indigo
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Indigofera tsiangiana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
