Baptisia tinctoria, commonly known as wild indigo, belongs to the Fabaceae (legume) family. Its native region includes the eastern US and Canada - it grows especially well in prairies, pastures, and woodlands. Wild indigo is sometimes called rattleweed because its ripe pod produce a rattling noise. Its fresh roots are used medicinally for sinus infections, influenza, fever, cholera, constipation, lymphatic stagnation, laryngitis, pharyngitis, gastrointestinal infections. Some notable chemical constituents found in wild indigo include baptistine, baptisin, and genistein. Its immunostimulatory/immunomodulatroy properties function to stimulate/modulate the body's immune system; it's proposed mechanism of action involves the activation of macrophages as well as increased production of IL-2. Some other wild indigo properties include: antimicrobial, lymphagogue, antioxidant, alterative, cholagogue, choleretic, bitter, antipyretic.