Galactia volubilis
Galactia minor
downy milkpea, mcree's milkpea
Duncan's milkpea
climbing-twining, herbaceous, usually sparsely to moderately strigose with tightly to loosely appressed, retrorse hairs, sometimes glabrate.
procumbent or trailing, not twining, densely short-strigose, hairs closely antrorse-appressed, hairs 0.1–0.3 mm;
internodes usually shorter, sometimes longer, than largest leaflet of adjacent node.
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 elliptic, oblanceolate-elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, (7–)9–25(–30) × (4–)7–10(–18) mm, ± leathery, veins raised on both surfaces, apex rounded to slightly retuse, rarely acute, surfaces sparsely strigose abaxially and lighter colored but not glaucous, glabrous 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.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–4 in reduced pseudoracemes;
axis (5–)10–20(–35) mm.
calyx 6–8 mm, sparsely strigose to glabrate;
corolla pink to pink and purple, 9–14 mm.
calyx 7–10 mm, strigose, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink, lighter when dry, 11–17 mm.
straight, (20–)25–52 × 3–4 mm, short-strigose.
straight, 25–45 × 4–5 mm, strigose.
(5–)7–11.
3–8.
Galactia volubilis
Galactia minor
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 minor is known from the Florida panhandle and southern Mississippi and from scattered counties in the other named states.
Galactia minor is distinguished by procumbent, antrorsely strigulose stems, relatively small, congested leaves with glabrous adaxial surfaces and raised venation, few flowers on a short inflorescence axis, and relatively large corollas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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