Galactia volubilis
Galactia erecta
downy milkpea, mcree's milkpea
erect milkpea
climbing-twining, herbaceous, usually sparsely to moderately strigose with tightly to loosely appressed, retrorse hairs, sometimes glabrate.
mostly erect, not twining, usually alternately bent at nodes, (10–)20–30(–40) cm, herbaceous, glabrous or glabrate to sparsely strigose, hairs closely appressed, retrorse.
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.
3, blades oblong or narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, (15–)25–40(–50) × 7–18 mm, leathery, veins closely reticulate (areoles isodiametric) and raised on both surfaces, with a thickened, continuous, marginal vein, apex rounded to obtuse, sometimes retuse, surfaces glabrous.
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.
axillary, subsessile fascicles, flowers solitary and axillary or 2–6 in reduced pseudoracemes.
calyx 6–8 mm, sparsely strigose to glabrate;
corolla pink to pink and purple, 9–14 mm.
calyx 5–6 mm, short-strigose;
corolla pale purple to white, 7–8 mm.
straight, (20–)25–52 × 3–4 mm, short-strigose.
straight or falcate, 20–40 × 5–8 mm, densely hirsute.
(5–)7–11.
6–10.
Galactia volubilis
Galactia erecta
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.)
Galactia erecta is distinct in its erect habit, slender rhizomes, subsessile leaflets, and flowers in axillary-sessile clusters. In Florida, G. erecta is restricted to the northern counties, and in Texas it is found only in six eastern counties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
LA Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
