Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Galactia erecta
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Erect Milkpea from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Galactia erecta is distinct in its erect habit, slender rhizomes, subsessile leaflets, and flowers in axillary-sessile clusters, per Taxonomy of Galactia (Fabaceae) in the USA (Nesom, 2015)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Galactia erecta
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Taxonomy of Galactia (Fabaceae) in the USA (Nesom, 2015)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Keys to the flora of Florida, Galactia (Leguminosae) (Ward & Hall, 2004)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Changes in Galactia (Fabaceae) in the Southeastern US (Duncan, 1979)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-50-002:
Galactia erecta FAMILY Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Galactia erecta
COMMON NAME:
Erect Milkpea
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmgerecta_oceanbay2
May Horry County SC
Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve
The Sandhills' only milkpea that stands erect & only one with white flowers, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Will Stuart wil_g_erecta_0375_zoom
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
White, pea-shaped, half-inch flowers grow in small clusters from leaf axils, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Will Stuart wil_galactia_erecta_0375
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
)
Will Stuart wil_galactia_erecta_0394
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
Developing flowers buds are covered in dense fine hairs. — Will Stuart
)
Will Stuart wil_galactia_erecta_5484
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
Blossoms develop in dense clusters from leaf axils. — Will Stuart
)
Will Stuart wil_galactia_erecta_5511
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
Leaves few, divided into 3 narrow glabrous leaflets, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
COMPARE
leaves that are trifoliolate and pinnately compound
)
Will Stuart wil_galactia_erecta_5516
July Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
Leaves rise above the axillary inflorescence on a long petiole. — Will Stuart
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Galactia erecta
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Galactia erecta
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Taxonomy of Galactia (Fabaceae) in the USA (Nesom, 2015)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Keys to the flora of Florida, Galactia (Leguminosae) (Ward & Hall, 2004)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Changes in Galactia (Fabaceae) in the Southeastern US (Duncan, 1979)
Galactia erecta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-50-002:
Galactia erecta
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Galactia erecta
2478
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Does not have milky sap
LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Mostly alternate
Leaflets have petiolules.
Leaflets are subtended by stipels.
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Pale violet/ White
Bilaterally symmetrical
4-lobed calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
Superior ovary
Flowers in axillary clusters
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p300
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p086
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p049
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".