Galactia. LEGUMINOSiE. 287 



13. GALACTIA. P. Browne; Michx.fi. 2. p. 61 ; Iie7ilh. Leg. gen. p. 62. 



Calyx 4-cleft; segments acute, of nearly equal length, the upper one broad- 

 est. Vexillum incumbent, without callosities, broad: keel petals slightly 

 cohering at the apex. Legume compressed, linear, many-seeded. — Twining 

 or prostrate herbaceous (as are all the N. American species) or somev.liat 

 shrubby plants. Leaves pinnately trifoliolate (in G. ? EUiottii, pinnate), rarely 

 reduced to a single leaflet. Racemes axillary, usually loosely-flowered. 



- 1. G. glabella (Michx.): stem prostrate, somewhat twining, nearly gla- 

 brous; leaflet? elliptical-oblong or ovate-obloiij. obtuse, emarginate, glabrous 

 above, slightly hirsute beneath ; racemes a little longer than the leaves ; flow- 

 ers approximated, distinctly pedicellate ; calyx nearly glabrous ; lecjumes some- 

 what hinutc.—Mich.v..' fi. 2. p. 62; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 117; Elt.sk. 2. p. 

 239; DC. prodr. 2. p. 238. 



(j. leaflets ovate, rather acute. 



Scerile sandy soils, New-Jersey! to Florida! P. Florida, Dr. Chapman! 

 Aug.-Sept. — Stem 2-4 feet long, spreading on the ground, or sometimes 

 twining around other plants. Leaflets variable in size and form, usually about 

 an inch long and half an inch broad. Racemes at first rather shorter, but at 

 length somewhat longer than the leaves. Pedicels 2 lines long. Segments 

 of the calyx acuminate. Corolla reddish-purple. Anthers linear-oblong. 

 Legume slightly falcate, 4-6-seeded. — The New-Jersey plant is regarded by 

 Nuttall as a distinct species from Elliott's. 



-f-^% G. pilosa (Nutt.) : stem twining, minutely and retrorsely hirsute ; leaf- 

 lets oblong-ovate, finely hirsute on both surfaces, paler beneath ; racemes 

 much longer than the leaves ; flowers on short pedicels, scattered and remote ; 

 legume villous.— Aw<<. gen. 2. p. 116 ?; Ell. sk. 2. p. 238 ; DC. prodr. 2. 

 p. 237. 



/?. MacrcBi : plant very slender and more glabrous; peduncles 4-6 times 

 longer than the leaves ; flowers distinctly pedicellate. — G. Macrsei, Curtis! 

 in Host. jour. nat. hist. 1. p. 120, excl. syn. Nutt. 



y. ansc'i'if i folia : plant very slender ; stem pubescent; leaflets linear-ob- 

 long; peduncles 3-4 times longer than the leaves; flowers distinctly pedicel- 

 late. 



Dry sandy soils, North Carolina ! to Florida! west to Louisiana! and Ar- 

 kansas! 3. N. Carolina, Curtis! S. Middle Florida, Croom ! East Florida, 

 Lieut. Alden! — Leaflets larger and more acute than in G. glabella; the ra- 

 cemes much more slender, and the flowers smaUer and scattered along the 

 peduncle. Anthers linear-oblong. 



■^■r- 3. G. mollis (Michx.) : stem prostrate or twining, retrorsely and softly 

 ' pubescent ; leaflets oval, obtuse, canescently villous and paler beneath ; ra- 

 cemes much longer than the leaves; fascicles of flowern approximated 

 toward the summii of the peduncle; pedicels ver^' short ; calyx and legumes 

 very villous.— Mc/ij:. .' ft. 2. p. 61; Nutt. gen. 2. p. Ill 1; Ell. sk. 2. p. 

 238; DC. prodr. 2. p. 237. 



Dry soils, Maryland ! to Florida! August.— Leaflets conspicuously vein- 

 ed, about an inch long. Peduncles about twice as long as the leaves. Calyx 

 half as long as the reddish-purple corolla. Anthers oval. Legume straight. — 

 Differs from the preceding species in being more pubescent, the fascicles of 

 flowers more approximated, and in the shorter pedicels. The flowers are 

 scarcely more than half as large as in G. glabella. — Mr. Nuttall refers G. pi- 

 osa of Elliott to this species; and G. mollis of Michaux he is inclined to re- 

 gard as a distinct plant from his own of that name, which he proposes to call 

 G. pallida. G. mollis, Pursh, probably includes two species. 



