66 Phytologia (Aug 2004) 86(2) 



the direction of H. L. Blomquist, prepared a fully detailed systematic 

 treatment of Galactia of the United States; this thesis, regrettably never 

 published, has been underutilized by later authors. 



Perhaps put off by Vail's sometimes trichotomous or even 

 quadrichotomous key and lacking ready access to Rogers's thesis, recent 

 authors have formulated independent treatments to Florida species: A. 

 Herndon, Rhodora 83:471-472. 1981; A. F. Clewell, Guide to the Vase. 

 Plants of the Florida Panhandle. 1985; R. P. Wunderlin, Guide to the 

 Vase. Plants of Florida. 1998. Though their summaries are valuable, 

 these authors were either limited in their geographic coverage or placed 

 in synonymy certain taxa recognized by previous authors that now seem 

 worthy of recognition. 



For decades the acknowledged leader in taxonomic investigation of 

 the American legumes has been Duane Isely of Iowa State University. Dr. 

 Isely, who over a period of years spent many weeks working alongside 

 or in association with the present authors, incorporated many of their 

 observations of Galactia into his treatment of the southeastern species 

 (Vase. Flora of the Southeastern U. S. 3(2): 147- 1 52. 1 990). Yet the breadth 

 of Isely 's task (to address all species of Leguminosae throughout the 

 Southeast), together with several significant re interpretations of current 

 nomenclature, and the value of formalizing a varietal taxon discussed 

 by Isely but not named or fully described — as well as the differences in 

 interpretation held by authors more recent than Isely — has stimulated 

 the present authors to submit a further treatment of Florida Galactia. 



A major nomenclatural complication has been the analysis by W. 

 H. Duncan (Sida 8:170-180. 1979) that the Linnaean epithets applied to 

 two widespread species of Galactia have long been misinterpreted and, 

 moreover, have been used one for the other; that is, the names are valid, 

 but their correct application is the reverse of earlier usage. By Duncan's 

 assessment, G. regularis (L.) BSP is the small-flowered (7-9 mm. long), 

 vigorously twining plant previously called G. volubilis, while true G. 

 volubilis (L.) Britt. is the large-flowered (10-14 mm. long), scarcely- 

 twining taxon known elsewhere as G. macreei or G. regularis (Small 



