Galactia wrightii
Galactia marginalis
Wright's milkpea
edible milkpea
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
procumbent, not twining, lignescent, sparsely to moderately short-strigose, hairs 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.
1, blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 25–85 × 4–10(–16) mm, leathery, veins closely reticulate and strongly raised, thickened marginal vein completely encircling entire margin, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces not glaucous abaxially, glabrous throughout.
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, axillary;
axis 3–8 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, short-strigose;
corolla pink to purple, purple-red, or deep lavender, 13–15 mm.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
straight, 25–35 × 5–7 mm, short-strigose, hairs closely appressed.
(3–)5–9.
(5–)7–9.
Galactia wrightii
Galactia marginalis
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 marginalis is characterized by prostrate stems, glabrous, 1-foliolate leaves with closely reticulate, raised venation and a completely encircling marginal vein, and relatively large, solitary, axillary flowers. The species is known from at least 14 counties, mostly on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Texas.
A. Burkart (1971) described Galactia marginalis var. columbiana Burkart based on a specimen from Cundinamarca, Colombia, that was thought to represent an intermediary between the population of G. marginalis in southeastern Texas and in southern South America. The Colombia collection has subsequently been identified as G. glaucescens Kunth.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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