Galactia canescens
Galactia microphylla
hoary milkpea
littleleaf milkpea
procumbent, not twining, proximally lignescent, moderately strigose, hairs loosely appressed, retrorse.
procumbent, not twining, herbaceous to lignescent, hirsute-villous, hairs irregularly to strongly deflexed, rarely nearly appressed-retrorse.
3, blades broadly oblong to oblong-obovate, oblong-elliptic, or suborbiculate, 11–35(–42) × 8–30(–35) mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to flat or shallowly retuse, surfaces blue-green glaucous and densely strigose abaxially, sparsely strigose adaxially with closely appressed hairs.
3, blades elliptic, 10–30 × 5–16 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glossy, glaucous, and sparsely short-strigose abaxially with appressed to ascending hairs, strigose to glabrescent or glabrate adaxially.
flowers 5–8 in pseudoracemes;
axis 60–120 mm.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–6 in reduced pseudoracemes;
axis 10–20 mm.
calyx 5–8 mm, hirsute to strigose-hirsute;
corolla pink to pink-red or light purple, 9–11 mm.
calyx 3–4 mm, closely strigulose, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, light purple, lighter when dry, 6–7 mm.
straight or slightly curved, 30–50 × 6–9 mm, densely strigose-sericeous.
straight, 25–45 × 4–5 mm, short-hirsute, hairs spreading.
1–5.
3–8.
Galactia canescens
Galactia microphylla
Galactia canescens is characterized by its prostrate, strigose stems rooting at the nodes, slender rhizomes often bearing subterranean flowers and fruits, and broadly oblong to suborbiculate leaflets with glaucous and densely strigose abaxial surfaces. It is found in more than 20 counties in Texas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Galactia microphylla is characterized by its prostrate habit, hirsute-villous stems, and relatively small leaves; it is known from the western Florida panhandle and adjacent Alabama. Compared to G. floridana, G. microphylla has shorter internodes, smaller and thinner leaves light green on both surfaces and glaucous beneath, shorter inflorescences with fewer flowers, and minutely and closely strigillose calyces.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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