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Drawing copyright Mark Müller
Fabeaceae Family - "Cream Wild Indigo. Cream-colored False Indigo, Long-bracted Wild Indigo, Plains Wild Indigo, Large-bracted Wild Indigo, Yellowish False Indigo"
From the Greek "baptizein"meaning to dye; refers to the historical economic use as a poor indigo dye.and Leucophaea meaning cream-colored.
Found on prairies throughout the Tallgrass region with cream-colored, drooping 1- to 2-inch flowers on a one foot spike from May to June. Can reach 3 feet in height, but is normally about 1 foot tall. This species detatches from the root base during the dormant stage and the dried plant is tumbled about by the wind to disperse the seeds.
Used medicinally by Native Americans to treat cuts and some fevers. The Pawnee ground the seeds into a pulp with buffalo fat and rubbed the resulting salve onto the abdomen to treat colic. It was at one time a cultivated species.
