Galactia volubilis
downy milkpea, mcree's milkpea
climbing-twining, herbaceous, usually sparsely to moderately strigose with tightly to loosely appressed, retrorse hairs, sometimes glabrate.
3, blades oblong to narrowly elliptic or narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, (10–)12–40(–45) × 5–15(–17) mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to truncate or shallowly retuse, surfaces short-strigose abaxially, glabrous or sparsely strigose adaxially.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–6(–10) in reduced pseudoracemes on distal 1/3–3/4 of axis, sometimes in fascicles;
axis (10–)20–90(–240) mm.
calyx 6–8 mm, sparsely strigose to glabrate;
corolla pink to pink and purple, 9–14 mm.
straight, (20–)25–52 × 3–4 mm, short-strigose.
(5–)7–11.
Galactia volubilis
Galactia volubilis is characterized by its slightly larger flowers, characteristically narrow oblong leaflets, and twining, thin, sparsely, antrorsely strigose to glabrate stems; it is distributed mostly on the coastal plain from North Carolina to Alabama; scattered localities are known westward to Texas.
Galactia volubilis and G. regularis appear to be mostly distinct in their area of sympatry (G. regularis has a wider geographic range); apparent intermediates are encountered. Flowering times coincide and there is at least some overlap in habitat, allowing opportunities for hybridization, but the relative stability of the two forms even where sympatric suggests that some kind of reproductive isolation is in effect, perhaps post-zygotic. The most prominent distinction between the two species is in leaf shape; leaves of G. volubilis also tend to be thinner and glaucous on the abaxial surface. Vestiture of G. volubilis is relatively sparse or surfaces may be glabrous or nearly so.
Galactia glabella Michaux is a superfluous and illegitimate name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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