A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Indigo (Eng.noun), a deep blackish blue obtained from Indigofera tinctoria, L.; a blue dye originally obtained from plants, indigo plants or woad, q.v.; a blue coloring matter which is a dark grayish blue, ‘Indian blue:’ indicum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. indico, a blue pigment for dyeing and painting [> L. indicus,-a,-um (adj.A) > Gk. indikon, neuter of indikos, 'Indic'; ‘indigo,’ a blue dye-stuff; a corruption of indicum, Indian” (Paxton)]; see tinctorius,-a,-um (adj.A).

Anil (Eng.noun), also nil = indigo; an indigo plant or the blue dye obtained from it; also the Indigofera suffruticosa of the West Indiea (Fabaceae) from which indigo is made: French from Portuguese from Arabic an-nil, the indigo plant, al-the Persian sil, from Sanskrit nili from nile: dark blue” after American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition. Neither anil nor nil used in classical latin: Indigofera anil, epithet = noun in apposition.

indigo blue, “the deepest blue” (Lindley): indigoticus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v.

- indicus color, ‘indigo’ (from Glare): color,-oris (s.m.III) indicus, abl.sg. colore indico.

- Gk. indikon pharmakon: indigo; also “the plant ‘indigo,’ Indigofera tinctoria” (Liddell & Scott).

Indigo (genus) Adans. (Fabaceae): [no species recorded].

Indigo (as noun in apposition): [fungus] Lactarius indigo, the Indigo milk cap, the blue milk mushroom: the fungus is blue throughout (esp. the gills), and exudes a blue latex.

Indigofera,-ae (s.f.I), “Devil’s Dye” (Paxton); “a genus of tropical herbs and shrubs (Leguminosae [Fabaceae])” (WIII); Indigofera (s.f.I): “Indigo. From ‘indigo;’ plus L. ‘fero,’ to bear. A widely distributed genus in tropical and subtropical countried, from which the dye indigo is obtained. Leguminosae” (Stearn 1996).

indigofer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A): bearing or producing indigo: Crotalaria indigofera; Eupatorium indigofera; Ficus indigofera; Phaius indigoferus; Quina indigofera; Ruellia indigofera; Solanum indigoferum; Tephrosia indigofera; Tilandsia indigofera.

indig-, indigo-: in L. & Gk. comp., -indigo (colored);

Salvia indigocephala, with indigo-colored [i.e. blue-black] head.

Indigotinum,-i (s.n.II), abl.sg. indigotino: “pure blue indigo, forming about four-tenths of the commercial indigo” (Jackson).

Indigo, “a blue vat dye that was obtained originally from plants:

1. Indigo plant: 1. A plant that yields indigo: as any of several plants of the genus Indigofera (as I. tinctoria of Africa and India, and I. anil, of South America, I. auriculata of Arabia and Egypt; an East Indian woody vine (Marsdenia tinctoria) that yields rank indigo); an Asiatic herb (Polygonum tinctorium; an Australian plant of the genus Swainsonia” (after WIII).

Some plants producing a blue-black dye:

Ampelygonum,-i (s.n.II): “this is one of the species from which indigo of a fine quality is obtained = Polygonum chinense” (Paxton).

Baptisia tinctoria: Falso indigo.

Gymnema,-atis (s.n.III): “Indigo of excellent quality is obtained from G.tingens” (Paxton).

Isatis indigotica = Chinese Indigo (Paxton).

Isatis tinctorial

Persicaria tinctoria, Chinese Indigo.

Podalyria tinctoria, Wild Indigo.

Woad (Eng.noun), q.v.: Gk. ‘Isatis’ woad: “a plant of the genus Isatis; esp., a European biennial herb (I. tinctoria) formerly grown for the blue coloring matter yielded by its leaves; also a blue dye prepared … from the leaves of woad and containing indigo as its essential constituent (after WIII).