Galactia marginalis
Galactia heterophylla
edible milkpea
Gray's milkpea
procumbent, not twining, lignescent, sparsely to moderately short-strigose, hairs retrorse.
procumbent, not twining, densely strigose, hairs closely appressed, retrorse.
1, blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 25–85 × 4–10(–16) mm, leathery, veins closely reticulate and strongly raised, thickened marginal vein completely encircling entire margin, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces not glaucous abaxially, glabrous throughout.
5, blades elliptic or broadly elliptic to elliptic-obovate or oblong-elliptic, 6–24 × 2–12 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, margins strigose, apex obtuse to rounded or shallowly retuse, surfaces smooth-glaucous abaxially and moderately strigose, hairs closely appressed, usually glabrous adaxially, rarely sparsely strigose.
flowers solitary, axillary;
axis 3–8 mm.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–5 in reduced pseudoracemes;
axis 1–10 mm.
calyx 5–6 mm, short-strigose;
corolla pink to purple, purple-red, or deep lavender, 13–15 mm.
calyx 7–9 mm, short-strigose with closely appressed hairs;
corolla pink, deep pink, cerise, rose-purple, lavender, purple, violet-red, 11–15 mm.
straight, 25–35 × 5–7 mm, short-strigose, hairs closely appressed.
straight, (20–)30–45 × 5–7 mm, moderately strigose, hairs closely appressed.
(5–)7–9.
3–5.
Galactia marginalis
Galactia heterophylla
Galactia marginalis is characterized by prostrate stems, glabrous, 1-foliolate leaves with closely reticulate, raised venation and a completely encircling marginal vein, and relatively large, solitary, axillary flowers. The species is known from at least 14 counties, mostly on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Texas.
A. Burkart (1971) described Galactia marginalis var. columbiana Burkart based on a specimen from Cundinamarca, Colombia, that was thought to represent an intermediary between the population of G. marginalis in southeastern Texas and in southern South America. The Colombia collection has subsequently been identified as G. glaucescens Kunth.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Galactia heterophylla is characterized by its prostrate, non-twining stems and particularly by its five leaflets with glabrous adaxial surfaces. It occurs in about 15 counties in central and south-central Texas.
Galactia grayi Vail is an illegitimate, superfluous name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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