Galactia wrightii
Galactia joselyniae
Wright's milkpea
joselyn's milkpea
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
procumbent, sometimes weakly twining distally, herbaceous or proximally lignescent, loosely strigose, hairs antrorse or retrorse.
3, blades oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 15–48 × 5–18 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse or shallowly retuse, surfaces moderately to densely strigose-sericeous and glaucous abaxially, sparsely to densely short-strigose-sericeous with closely appressed hairs to pubescent with soft, spreading-erect hairs, sometimes strigose to glabrous, adaxially.
3(rarely 5), blades usually broadly oblong-elliptic to suborbiculate, sometimes broadly oblong to broadly oblong-oblanceolate, (9–)11–29(–37) × 6–24(–34) mm, herbaceous, veins strongly raised on abaxial surface but not adaxially, apex rounded to truncate or retuse, surfaces light green to glaucous (beneath vestiture), densely hirsute-strigose to loosely strigose-sericeous, sometimes more densely so along abaxial veins.
flowers (2–)5–18(–30) in pseudoracemes, usually in fascicles, axis rarely 10 mm and 2- or 3-flowered;
axis (10–)35–200(–250) mm.
flowers solitary and axillary or 2–8 in pseudoracemes, not fasciculate;
axis (10–)40–130(–150) mm.
calyx 5–7 mm, loosely short-strigose to hirsute-pubescent, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink to purple-rose to lavender, lighter when dry, 11–12 mm.
calyx 4–5 mm, loosely strigose, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink to rose-pink, dull blue-purple when dry, 6–8 mm.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
straight, 25–40 × 4–6 mm, sparsely strigose, hairs filiform.
(3–)5–9.
(4 or)5 or 6.
Galactia wrightii
Galactia joselyniae
Galactia wrightii is characterized by twining stems, mostly oblong-elliptic leaflets with glaucous abaxial surfaces, relatively long inflorescences with numerous flowers and relatively large corollas, and strigose-sericeous fruits. The type of var. mollissima is a plant with vestiture more spreading than normal; such variants are scattered through the range in Arizona, as cited by Kearney and Peebles, as well as in Texas.
Plants in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona (especially the Huachuca Mountains but not the Chiricahua Mountains) tend to have reduced vestiture; the leaves are sometimes completely glabrous. Such plants extend southward in Mexico along the Chihuahua-Sonora border region. Intermediates are numerous, especially in Arizona, and no distinct boundary seems evident. In Texas, G. wrightii is known from four counties of the trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Galactia joselyniae is similar to G. wrightii in its mostly trailing stems and densely hairy leaves but different in its cauline vestiture with hairs either antrorse or retrorse, smaller, broadly oblong to suborbiculate leaves, and smaller and fewer flowers. It is known from Texas populations in Brewster County (Dead Horse Mountains, near the Rio Grande within side drainages of Boquillas Canyon) and Jeff Davis County (Wild Rose Pass) and from one collection in central Coahuila about 300 km south of the Brewster County sites. Plants in Brewster County have loosely strigose stems with antrorse hairs; those in Jeff Davis County and in Coahuila have strigose stems with retrorse hairs.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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