Galactia volubilis
Galactia texana
downy milkpea, mcree's milkpea
Texas milkpea
climbing-twining, herbaceous, usually sparsely to moderately strigose with tightly to loosely appressed, retrorse hairs, sometimes glabrate.
climbing-twining, proximally lignescent, hirsute-strigose to strigose, hairs loosely 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 elliptic to broadly elliptic or oblong-elliptic, (15–)20–42 × 10–25(–32) mm, herbaceous, veins raised or not on both surfaces, apex obtuse to rounded or shallowly retuse, surfaces not glaucous, sparsely strigose with closely appressed hairs to softly hirsute with ascending hairs abaxially, glabrous to 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.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–5 in reduced pseudoracemes;
axis 1–4(–40) mm.
calyx 6–8 mm, sparsely strigose to glabrate;
corolla pink to pink and purple, 9–14 mm.
calyx 6 mm, loosely strigose to hirsute-strigose or hirsute;
corolla pink, rose, reddish, or purple-cream, 8–11 mm.
straight, (20–)25–52 × 3–4 mm, short-strigose.
falcate, 30–60 × 4–6 mm, sparsely minutely strigulose, hairs closely appressed.
(5–)7–11.
(3–)6–10.
Galactia volubilis
Galactia texana
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.)
In Texas, Galactia texana is known from east-central counties southwestward to the Big Bend region.
Galactia texana is characterized by its twining stems, relatively short, few-flowered inflorescences, and falcate fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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