Galactia fasciculata
Galactia wrightii
large trailing milkpea
Wright's milkpea
climbing-twining, strongly lignescent, loosely strigose, hairs loosely appressed, retrorse.
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
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 oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 15–48 × 5–18 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse or shallowly retuse, surfaces moderately to densely strigose-sericeous and glaucous abaxially, sparsely to densely short-strigose-sericeous with closely appressed hairs to pubescent with soft, spreading-erect hairs, sometimes strigose to glabrous, adaxially.
flowers (3–)6–25, fasciculate in pseudoracemes along distal 1/2–3/4 of rachis;
axis (10–)30–160 mm.
flowers (2–)5–18(–30) in pseudoracemes, usually in fascicles, axis rarely 10 mm and 2- or 3-flowered;
axis (10–)35–200(–250) mm.
calyx 6–7 mm, sparsely minutely strigose to glabrate;
corolla lavender or purplish to pinkish, 11–14(–15) mm.
calyx 5–7 mm, loosely short-strigose to hirsute-pubescent, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink to purple-rose to lavender, lighter when dry, 11–12 mm.
straight, 30–60 × 4–6 mm, densely short-strigose to strigose-sericeous, hairs loosely appressed.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
5–9.
(3–)5–9.
Galactia fasciculata
Galactia wrightii
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.)
Galactia wrightii is characterized by twining stems, mostly oblong-elliptic leaflets with glaucous abaxial surfaces, relatively long inflorescences with numerous flowers and relatively large corollas, and strigose-sericeous fruits. The type of var. mollissima is a plant with vestiture more spreading than normal; such variants are scattered through the range in Arizona, as cited by Kearney and Peebles, as well as in Texas.
Plants in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona (especially the Huachuca Mountains but not the Chiricahua Mountains) tend to have reduced vestiture; the leaves are sometimes completely glabrous. Such plants extend southward in Mexico along the Chihuahua-Sonora border region. Intermediates are numerous, especially in Arizona, and no distinct boundary seems evident. In Texas, G. wrightii is known from four counties of the trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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