Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 208. 1894

Franck, Alan R., 2017, Typifications for Galactia purshii and G. volubilis (Fabaceae), PhytoKeys 85, pp. 11-26 : 16-19

Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 208. 1894 Figs 3 , 4

Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 208. 1894. Hedysarum volubile L., Sp. Pl. 2: 750. 1753. Lectotype (designated by Reveal & Jarvis 2009: 979): Dillenius, Hort. Eltham. t. 143., f. 170. 1732. Epitype (designated here): USA, Florida, Lafayette Co., NFMYC [North Florida Methodist Youth Camp, Mayo], 13 Jun 1964, Caudle et al. 5744 (epitype, USF; probable isoepitypes, Caudle et al. 5292A, FLAS, Caudle et al. 5292B, FTG). = Galactia macreei M.A.Curtis, Boston J. Nat. Hist. 1: 120. 1835. Galactia pilosa Nutt. var. macreei (M.A.Curtis) Torr. & A.Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 287. 1838. Type: USA, North Carolina, Curtis s.n. (probable holotype, GH [00002425], photograph in Rogers 1949: 88, pl. 22). = Galactia pilosa Nutt. var. angustifolia Torr. & A.Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 287. 1838. Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton var. intermedia Vail, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 508. 1895 nom. illeg. (Art. 52). Lectotype (designated here): USA, Florida, Lt. Alden s.n. (lectotype, NY [02569414]).

Remarks.

Precise measurements of flower size and plant indumentum can be essential towards the application of names in Galactia as demonstrated by Duncan (1979) for G. regularis . Since G. volubilis is lectotypified by an illustration, an epitype would be useful to help secure the application of G. volubilis and further allay any possible confusion with other taxa. No information is known for the provenance of the G. volubilis plant in Sherard’s garden, which was used for the Dillenius lectotype illustration. An epitype was sought here that closely matches the morphology supplied by Dillenius.

Caudle et al. 5744 (USF) (Fig. 3 ) is chosen here as the epitype of G. volubilis because it is very consistent with the Dillenius lectotype and the description given by Dillenius (1732). The stems of both the lectotype and epitype are moderately sinuous with retrorsely hirsute indumentum. A close-up image of the stem indumentum of Caudle et al. 5744 is given in Franck (2017a: fig. 40). The leaflets are lanceolate-ovate in both the lectotype and epitype. The leaflets of the epitype are glaucescent abaxially consistent with the Dillenius (1732) description "prona pallidiora & glaucescentia." The adaxial secondary venation of the leaflets is discernible while reticulate venation is obscured in both the lectotype and epitype. The flower length is ca. 70% of the maximum leaflet width in the lectotype and ca. 75% in the epitype. The flower fascicles of both are relatively distant along the inflorescence.

Two other specimens, Caudle et al. 5292A and 5292B, are very likely isoepitypes. In all features, they are markedly identical in morphology to the epitype, including the development of inflorescences with only immature fruits. The collection numbers of the labels are different but they do not appear to be traditional collection numbers. The specimens were gathered by several undergraduate students as part of a few National Science Foundation (NSF) grants awarded to Margaret L. Gilbert, the curator of the Florida Southern College herbarium (FSCL, now incorporated into USF). It appears this sequence of collection numbers was given to any specimen under the purview of these NSF grants, and were simply sequentially added as the specimens were processed back at the herbarium. It seems likely that these G. volubilis specimens were gathered by one group of students but later processed separately resulting in their sequential separation. Although several students and the curator were all involved with the field work, Carol F. Caudle (now Carol Baskin) related that she herself was the main person responsible for the herbarium specimens ( Franck 2017b). No collectors were named on the original label but Caudle has been credited as the probable main collector.

The concept of G. pilosa sensu Torrey and Gray (1838-1840) matches the sense of G. volubilis here ( Franck 2017a). One variety introduced by Torrey and Gray was "γ. angustifolia " and its range was given as "δ. Middle Florida, Croom ! East Florida, Lieut. Alden!" The mismatched greek symbols, γ for the name and δ for the range, must have been an error. There is a sheet at NY with both syntypes mounted on it that was annotated by Rogers as G. macreei in 1947 and G. volubilis in 1948 (Fig. 4 ). On the right is the Croom specimen (NY [02569415]), which likely came from near Croom 's properties in the Florida panhandle ( Troyer 2002). On the left is the Alden specimen (NY [02569414]), which is labeled as Galactia pilosa var. angustifolia . Alden was stationed at Fort Brooke (Tampa, Florida) in 1832 and Fort King (Ocala, Florida) from 1832-1833 ( Cullum 1891: 488; Harper 1948), and his specimen likely came from near these areas. The leaflet shapes of both specimens are narrowly oblong-ovate, being 3-6 times as long as wide and usually being widest near the base of the leaflet. The Alden specimen is selected here as the lectotype since it exemplifies the exserted long inflorescence and distantly spaced flower fascicles of G. volubilis .

The leaflet shape of G. pilosa var. angustifolia approaches G. austrofloridensis A.R.Franck, but fits within the variation of G. volubilis , matching other specimens with narrow leaflets such as Correll 51775 (USF), Hansen 5972 (USF), Hansen 9896 (USF), and Popenoe 2080 (USF). The linear-oblong leaflets (> 4 times as long as wide) of G. austrofloridensis only subtly distinguish it from G. volubilis . One collection from the West Indies, Correll & Correll 47675 (FTG, NY) from the Bahamas, appears identifiable as G. austrofloridensis . Galactia grisebachii Urb., possibly endemic to Cuba (e.g. León 7461 [NY]), has similarly linear-oblong leaflets ( Nesom 2017) but seems to differ by its consistently short inflorescences ( Franck 2017a). The poorly characterized Galactia parvifolia A.Rich, of the Greater Antilles and Bahamas, is similar to G. grisebachii but may differ by its lateral leaflets often being ca. ½ as long as the terminal leaflet ( Urban 1900, Franck 2017a).

Figures

Figure 3. Epitype of G. volubilis at USF.

Figure 4. The Alden specimen on the left is selected as the lectotype of G. pilosa var. angustifolia; the specimen on the right was collected by Croom. This image belongs to The C. V. Starr Virtual Herbarium (http: // sweetgum. nybg. org / science / vh /).