Galactia smallii

Herbs from a thick-fusiform, woody taproot. Stems procum­bent, distally twining, densely to sparsely hirsute-villous to hirsute, hairs loosely retrorsely spreading or antrorsely spreading-ascending. Leaflets 3, blades broadly elliptic to broadly elliptic-oblong or suborbiculate, 8–25 × 6–20 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded or usually shallowly retuse, surfaces villous-hirsute, with ascending hairs or adaxially minutely hirsute. Inflorescences: flowers solitary and axillary or 2–6 in reduced pseudoracemes on distal 1/8–1/4 of axis; axis (5–)20–60(–90) mm. Flowers: calyx 6–7 mm, strigose to hirsute, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry; corolla not persisting after anthesis, lavender-pink to purple, lighter when dry, 10–15 mm. Legumes straight, 25–50 × 5 mm, densely strigose, sometimes white-glaucous. Seeds 7–11.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Oct (or year-round).
Habitat: Pine rockland-slash pine with a shrub canopy of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum), and willow Bustic (Sideroxylon salicifolium) over outcropping oolitic limestone.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Fla.

Discussion

Galactia smallii is endemic to rocky habitats in Miami-Dade County and is recognized by its prostrate habit with stems distally twining, stems and leaves vari­ably spreading-hairy to strigose (antrorse or retrorse), and relatively large flowers, which often appear abundantly after fires. The lectotype (Small 8633, NY) has spreading cauline vestiture (though strongly glabrescent and not evident on portions of the stems). Other collections from the Miami-Dade County rocklands essentially identical otherwise in morphology have either spreading hairs or retrorse or antrorse hairs, and it appears that all of these plants should be considered as a single population system with variable vestiture. Other species apparently with variable orientation of vestiture are G. brachypoda, G. joselyniae, G. microphylla, and G. pinetorum.

Galactia smallii is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.