648 FABACEAE 



or longer than the wings to whicli it colieres. Stamens diadelphous, or monadelphous to the 

 middle, wholly free from the standard. Anthers all alike. Style filiform, not bearded. 

 Ovules several. Pod elongated, somewhat flattened, 2-valved, straight or curved, some- 

 times produced from underground apetalous flowers. Seeds few. Milk Pea. 



Plants with erect, decumbent or prostrate stems, not twining. 



Leaves 1-foliolate : leaflet witn strongly developed marginal nerves. 1. G. hcterophylla. 



Leaves mainly 3-foliolate : leaflets without marginal nerves. 



Panicles shorter than the leaves or slightly longer, the flower or flower-clusters 

 api)roximate. 

 Rachis not prolonged beyond the lower leaflets. 2. G. erecta. 



Raehis in 3-foliolate leaves, manifestly prolonged beyond the lower leaflets. 

 Plants with both 3-foliolate and 5-foliolate leaves : leaflets relatively 



small. 3. G. Grayi. 



Plants with only 3-foliolate leaves : leaflets relatively large. 



Leaflets with narrowly or linear-oblong blades: racemes few-flowered. 4. G. brachypoda. 

 Leaflets with oval or oval-oblong blades : racemes many-flowered. 5. G. Floriduna. 



Panicles much longer than the leaves, the flowers or flower-clusters remote. 6. G. brevijics. 

 Plants with twining stems, sometimes prostrate or climbing over bushes. 

 Leaves with 3 leaflets. 



Panicles 2-7 together at the nodes. 



Petiole shorter than the lateral leaflets : racemes about as long as the leaves : 



Floridian species. 7. G.faseiculata. 



Petiole longer than the lateral leaflets : racemes much longer than the 



leaves : Texan species. 8. G. canescens. 



Panicles solitary at the nodes, occasionally accompanied by an accessory one. 

 Panicles mainly shorter than the leaves or about equalling them. 



Leaflets pale on both sides, the terminal one relatively broad : rachis 



prolonged about 1 cm. beyond the lateral leaflets. 9. G. Texana. 



X/eaflets deep green above, pale beneath, the terminal one relatively nar- 

 row : racliis prolonged much less than 1 cm. beyond the lateral 

 leaflets. 

 Panicles mainly longer than the leaves, often much longer. 

 Peduncle shorter than the rachis. 



Panicles with remote flowers or flower-clusters : leaflets with mem- 

 branous blades. 

 Panicles with approximate flowers or flower-clusters ; leaflets with 

 leathery blades. 

 Peduncle longer than the rachis. 

 Leaves with 7-9 leaflets. 



1. Galactia heterophylla (Gillies) Vail. Roots woody. Stems procumbent, nearly 

 simple, 1-3 dm. long, minutely retrorse-hirsute, becoming glabrous : leaflet 1, the blade 

 leathery, that of each basal leaf oblong, 2-4 cm. long, the others 3-9 cm. long, or longer, 

 oblong-lanceolate or linear, acutish at each end, glabrous above, minutely strigillose 

 beneath, the reticulated nerves confluent with the conspicuous marginal nerve : ped- 

 icels 1-3 mm. long, solitary, or 2-3 on short peduncles in tlie axils of the upper leaves : 

 calyx 6-7 mm. long, strigillose-hirsute ; lobes acuminate, scarious-margined, the 3 lower 

 more slender, the middle one the narrowest and longest : corolla rose-jjurple ; standard 

 fully 10 mm. broad, the blade with a conspicuous indentation at the apex and 2 minute 

 appendages at the base : pods 2.5-3.5 cm. long, leathery, acuminate, retrorsely hii-sute, 

 the suture thickened. 



In dry soil, eastern Texas to Central America. Also in South America. Spring and summer. 



2. Gajactia er6cta ( Walt. ) Vail. Roots woody, slender, somewhat fusiform. Stems 

 erect, often several together, 2-3 dm. high or somewhat taller, glabrous or nearly so : leaves 

 few ; leaflets 3, or solitary on the lower leaves, the blades oblong, oblong-linear or linear, 

 2.5-4 cm. long, often reflexed, obtuse or rarely acutish, leathery, glabrous, glaucous, retic- 

 ulated beneatTi : flowei-s 2-5, in obscurely peduncled axillary raceme-like or cluster-like 

 panicles : pedicels 1-2 mm. long : calyx 5-6 mm. long, hirsute ; lobes scarious-margined, 

 unequal, the lower slender, acuminate, the upper one broader, minutely 2-toothed : corolla 

 purplish, the standard with a suborbicular ovate retuse blade : pods linear-oblong, about 

 2 cm. long, hirsute. [G. marginalis Benth.] 



In dry pine lands. North Carolina to Florida, Alabama and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



3. Galactia Grayi Vail. Foliage canescent-sericeous throughout. Stems several 

 from a large thick woody root, slender, decumbent, retrorsely pubescent, 3-6 dm. long 

 or longer : leaves several ; leaflets 3-5, the blades 7-16 mm. long, oblong, cuneate or nearly 

 linear, obtuse, retuse, mucronate or acutish, when 5 the terminal leaflet short-petioluled, the 

 accessory ones aftixed to the lateral pair : panicles much reduced, 1-4-flowered : peduncles 

 1-2.5 cm. long : pedicels 4-7 mm. long : calyx 8-10 mm. long ; lobes slender, acuminate : 

 corolla 1.5-1.8 cm. long, the standard yellowish, ol)long-ovate, retuse, acute at the base; 

 the other petals rose-purple ; keel conspicuously longer than the narrow wings : pods 

 linear-oblong, about 8 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, acute. 



In dry soil, Texas. Spring to fall. 



