Galactia Browne (1756: 32)

Ceolin, Guilherme B. & Miotto, Sílvia T. S., 2013, Synopsis of the genus Galactia (Phaseoleae, Papilionoideae, Leguminosae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 134 (1), pp. 1-26 : 2

Galactia Browne (1756: 32)

Type species: Galactia pendula Persoon (1807: 302)

Herbs to subshrubs, rarely shrubs, perennial, prostrate, decumbent, voluble, or erect. Leaves 1–3–foliolate to pinnate. Stipules and often stipels present. Inflorescences pseudoracemes, axillary or terminal, sessile or pedunculate. Flowers with 1 bract and 2 bracteoles, deltoid, lanceolate or subulate. Calyx campanulate, 4- lobed due to the fusion of the 2 upper sepals, pubescent; lobes lanceolate or acute. Corolla purplish, bluish, purple to pink, never yellow, and rarely red. Standard ovate or orbicular, glabrous or pubescent at the apex, sometimes with wine red coloured insect guides on the outside surface. Wings and pieces of keel glabrous. Androecium 10-staminate diadelphous or pseudomonadelphous, the anthers uniform. Gynoecium with ovary pubescent, linear, straight, sessile or slightly stipitate, with a nectary at the base; style usually glabrous, stigma apical, punctiform or globular. Legumes linear, laterally compressed, with cellulosic tissue between seeds (false septa), elastically dehiscent, many seeded, densely pubescent when immature and usually glabrous at maturity. Seeds subellipsoid, ellipsoid, or obovoid.