Galactia wrightii
Galactia longifolia
Wright's milkpea
longleaf milkpea
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
climbing-twining, moderately strigose, hairs loosely appressed, 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, blades narrowly oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 25–75 × 6–14 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces moderately to densely minutely strigulose, with closely appressed hairs.
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(–16) in pseudoracemes on distal 1/4 of axis, sometimes in fascicles;
axis 30–120(–280) 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 5–6 mm, strigulose;
corolla lavender, 10–11 mm.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
straight, 35–65 × 4–6 mm, sparsely minutely strigulose, hairs closely appressed.
(3–)5–9.
12–15.
Galactia wrightii
Galactia longifolia
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.)
In Texas, Galactia longifolia is known from a cluster of five coastal counties in the south: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Jackson, and Victoria. The irregularly scattered distribution of this species (Florida, Texas, Caribbean, French Guiana, and southern South America) suggests that it may not be monophyletic.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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