Amorpha

For the moth, see Amorpha (moth).

Amorpha
Desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Amorpheae
Genus: Amorpha
L.
Species

16; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Bonafidia Neck. (1790), opus utique oppr.
  • Monosemeion Raf. (1840)

Amorpha is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. All the species are native to North America, from southern Canada, most of the United States (US), and northern Mexico. They are commonly known as false indigo. The name Amorpha means "deformed" or "without form" in Greek and was given because flowers of this genus only have one petal, unlike the usual "pea-shaped" flowers of the Faboideae subfamily. Amorpha is missing the wing and keel petals.[2]

The desert false indigo or indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa), is a shrub that grows from 3 m to 5 m tall. The species is considered a rare species in the US state of West Virginia and in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, but is considered an invasive plant in some areas of the northeastern and northwestern United States and in southeastern Canada, beyond its native range, and has also been introduced into Europe.

The lead plant (Amorpha canescens), a bushy shrub, is an important North American prairie legume. Lead plant is often associated with little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a common prairie grass. Native Americans used the dried leaves of lead plant for pipe smoking and tea.

Amorpha species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia lucens, which feeds exclusively on the genus.

Amorphol, a rotenoid bioside, can be isolated from plants of the genus Amorpha.[3]

  1. ^ Amorpha L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. ^ Gledhill D. (2008). The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  3. ^ Kasymov AU, Kondratenko ES, Abubakirov NK (1974). "Structure of amorphol—A rotenoid bioside from plants of the genus Amorpha". Chem Nat Compd. 10 (4): 470–473. doi:10.1007/BF00563810.