Galactia wrightii
Galactia regularis
Wright's milkpea
downy milkpea, eastern milkpea
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
climbing-twining, herbaceous, moderately to densely hirsute to hirsute-villous with spreading-deflexed hairs.
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 elliptic to broadly elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or lanceolate-elliptic, (10–)14–40(–50) × (5–)10–21(–25) mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces sparsely strigose abaxially (often glaucous), minutely and sparsely short-strigose adaxially.
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 2–7(–9) in reduced pseudoracemes on distal 1/2–3/4 of axis;
axis 10–70(–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 4–6 mm, hirsute-villous;
corolla pink to rose, light violet, pink-purple, or rose-purple, 7–10 mm.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
straight, 20–50 × 3–5 mm, loosely strigose.
(3–)5–9.
5–9.
Galactia wrightii
Galactia regularis
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 regularis is the most widespread species of the genus in the eastern United States and is characterized by its relatively small flowers, elliptic leaflets, and twining, deflexed-hirsute-villous stems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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