anil indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa)
A plant species used for indigo dye; scientific name Indigofera suffruticosa. Also called インド藍.
See also: インド藍
Kiai is a dye plant also called Indian indigo.
Assam indigo (Strobilanthes cusia)
Another indigo plant, Strobilanthes cusia, also known as 琉球藍 (Ryukyu indigo).
See also: りゅうきゅうあい
Ryukyu indigo is a type of kiai, cultivated in Okinawa.
Katakana spelling is standard for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; no priority is specified.
The word is likely a compound of 木 (ki, 'tree') and 藍 (ai, 'indigo'), but the exact derivation is uncertain. The katakana spelling キアイ is standard in botanical contexts.