Littleleaf Milkpea

The little leaf milk pea, Galactia microphylla, is a legume (family Fabeaceae) native to the Southeastern United States.It occurs in a small area of the Florida panhandle, neighboring Alabama, and southern Georgia.It is a coastal plain species found in sandy longleaf pine woodland, scrub, dunes, sandy hills and slopes.It is partial to dry (xeric) habitats, and sometimes found in abandoned croplands.

Galactia microphylla is a delicate perennial herb that grows from a long taproot.Its stem does not grow upright, instead it lies along the ground, growing as a sprawling mat.Its leaves comprise three leaflets.The plant flowers between April and October.The light purple typically legume-shaped flowers each form on a single flower stem (axis).They produce 3-8 seeds in a pod.

As a legume, G. microphylla has high nitrogen requirements for its metabolism.While this species does not form root nodules to fix nitrogen, it plays an important part in the nitrogen cycle of the soil it inhabits.

Several other Galactia species also occur in the same habitats as the little leaf milk pea. However, G. microphylla is the only one of these species that lies on the ground. Galactia volubis and G. regularis can be distinguished as climbing forms, and G. erecta stands erect.The little leaf milk pea may, however, be confused with the very similar Galactia minor.The very similar Galactia minor is described as having more closely spaced leaves with raised veins on both leaf surfaces and larger, pink flower petals.It has recently been diagnosed as the same species (synonymous) as G. microphylla, indicated that there is some local variability in these traits. Galactia floridana var. microphylla is also recently considered a synonym.

Over one hundred Galactia species are known around the world.The name Galactia derives from the Greek galaktos, for milk.This genus is so named because some species produce a milky sap in their stems (hence the common name “milk pea”).Galactia microphylla does not produce a stem milk, nor do any of the other twenty one Galactia species that occur in the United States.

(Duncan 1977; Hainds et al. 1999; Nesom 2015; NatureServe 2015)

Perennial, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Plants with milky latex, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules inconspicuous, absent, or caducous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules deciduous, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Stipels present at base of leaflets, Leaflets 3, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-flowere dracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Bracteoles present, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 4-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals pinkish to rose, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Keel petals fused on sides or at tip, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit internally septate between the seeds, Valves twisting or coiling after dehiscence, Fruit beaked, Fruit hairy, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.