Amorpha

For the moth, see Amorpha juglandis.

Amorpha
Desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Tribe:	Amorpheae
Genus:	Amorpha L.
Species
See text.

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, and northern Mexico. They are commonly known as false indigo. The name Amorpha means "deformed" 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.

Flowers

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 U.S. 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 (A. canescens), a bushy shrub, is an important North American prairie 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.

Species

• Amorpha apiculata
• Amorpha californica - California false indigo, mock locust
• Amorpha canescens - leadplant
• Amorpha crenulata (syn. A. herbacea var. crenulata) - endangered
• Amorpha fruticosa - desert false indigo
• Amorpha georgiana - Georgia false indigo
• Amorpha glabra - mountain false indigo
• Amorpha herbacea - clusterspike false indigo
• Amorpha laevigata - smooth false indigo
• Amorpha nana - dwarf false indigo
• Amorpha nitens - shining false indigo
• Amorpha notha
• Amorpha ouachitensis - Ouachita false indigo
• Amorpha paniculata - panicled false indigo
• Amorpha roemeriana - Roemer's false indigo
• Amorpha schwerinii - Schwerin's false indigo

References

• USDA plants database
• ILDIS version 10.01