Galactia fasciculata
Galactia floridana
large trailing milkpea
Florida milkpea
climbing-twining, strongly lignescent, loosely strigose, hairs loosely appressed, retrorse.
procumbent or creeping, rooting at nodes, sometimes climbing-sprawling but not twining, densely short-tomentose to hirsute-villous, hairs spreading to erect, irregularly oriented.
3, blades elliptic, broadly elliptic, or suborbiculate, (12–)25–45(–64) × 10–30(–39) mm, leathery, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse, sometimes retuse, surfaces short-strigulose and lighter abaxially, glabrous and darker adaxially.
3, blades elliptic to broadly elliptic, (14–)20–55 × (10–)15–35 mm, herbaceous, thickened-leathery, veins not raised, apex rounded to truncate, commonly shallowly retuse, surfaces much darker adaxially, sparsely, persistently strigose-sericeous adaxially with loosely appressed hairs.
flowers (3–)6–25, fasciculate in pseudoracemes along distal 1/2–3/4 of rachis;
axis (10–)30–160 mm.
flowers 5–12(–25) in pseudoracemes on distal 1/4–1/2 of axis, in fascicles;
axis 20–100(–130) mm.
calyx 6–7 mm, sparsely minutely strigose to glabrate;
corolla lavender or purplish to pinkish, 11–14(–15) mm.
calyx 7–8 mm, villous, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink to purple or rose-purple, lighter when dry, 12–15 mm.
straight, 30–60 × 4–6 mm, densely short-strigose to strigose-sericeous, hairs loosely appressed.
straight, 30–45 × 3–4(–5) mm, densely villous-hirsute.
5–9.
7–11.
Galactia fasciculata
Galactia floridana
Galactia fasciculata, which is widespread in central peninsular Florida, is distinguished by lignescent, twining and high-climbing stems with densely and loosely retrorse-strigose vestiture, coriaceous leaves dark and glossy adaxially, and short inflorescences with relatively large, densely clustered flowers. It has sometimes been identified as G. floridana; the latter is distinct from G. fasciculata in its prostrate habit, persistently hairy adaxial leaf surfaces, elongate inflorescences with distally positioned flowers, and villous calyces.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
J. K. Small (1903, 1913, 1933) distinguished Galactia brevipes from G. floridana by its panicles longer than leaves and its separated flower clusters (versus panicles shorter or slightly longer than leaves and flower clusters approximate). Intermediate forms are common. Isolated localities in Alabama and Louisiana are disjunct from the main range.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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