Galactia australis (Malme) Ceolin & Miotto (2012: 650)

Ceolin, Guilherme B. & Miotto, Sílvia T. S., 2013, Synopsis of the genus Galactia (Phaseoleae, Papilionoideae, Leguminosae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 134 (1), pp. 1-26 : 4

1. Galactia australis (Malme) Ceolin & Miotto (2012: 650) .

Basionym: Galactia neesii var. australis Malme (1931: 35) .

Prostrate herb; leaves trifoliolate; leaflets almost orbicular (length/width ratio ~1), with a rounded base and apex; keel petals 13.2 + 0.9 mm long.; endemic to the lowlands of the southern South American Pampas.

Selected Specimen: — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Porto Alegre , 2 November 2005, R. Setubal & A. Mello 171 (ICN) .

Distribution: — Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil (RS).

Habitat and ecology:— Pampa biome, in grasslands, in rocky shallow soils, on plains and hillsides. G. australis is able to cover large areas due to its rhizomatous habit.

Notes: — Arechavaleta (1901) mentioned that an infusion of the roots is used as an aphrodisiac in popular medicine. Illustrations in Burkart (1971, pp. 733–734).

Phenology:— flowering and fruiting from October to February

Galactia benthamiana Micheli (1875: 81) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Lagoa Santa, Warming 2857 (holotype F!, isotype C!, NY![photo]). ( Fig. 2C ).

Twining herb, at least the apical portion of the plant; leaves unifoliolate; petiole present; base of leaflets heartshaped; inflorescences sessile or pedunculate.

Selected specimen: — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Santiago , 17 December 2008, G. B. Ceolin 160 (ICN) .

Distribution: — Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil (MG, PR, RS, SC, and SP).

Habitat and ecology:—Cerrado, Mata Atlântica, and Pampa biomes, growing in grassland, in rocky soils, on plains or steep slopes. Usually found in small populations.

Phenology:— flowering and fruiting from November to March.

Figures

FIGURE 2: A. Galactia martioides. B. Galactia pretiosa. C. Galactia benthamiana. D. Galactia boavista. E. Galactia striata.