Biology:Galactia erecta
| Galactia erecta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Galactia |
| Species: | G. erecta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Galactia erecta (Walter) Vail.
| |
Galactia erecta, or erect milkpea, is a species in the family Fabaceae, belonging to the genus Galactia, which includes trailing, twining, or climbing perennial vines, as well as erect herbaceous or rarely shrubby forms. It is native to the southeastern United States.
Description
Galactia erecta is an erect perennial herb, typically growing 20–40 cm tall. The stems are glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Leaves are tri-foliolate with a short rachis (1–2 mm), and leaflets are linear-oblong to elliptic, mostly 1.5–4 cm long and glabrous. Inflorescences are subsessile axillary racemes, 1–2 cm long, bearing 1–6 pale purple to white flowers. Flowers are on short-pubescent pedicels (1–3 mm), each subtended by small triangular-subulate bracts. The calyx is short-pubescent, with a tube and lobes each 2–3 mm long; the standard petal is 7–8 mm. Fruits are linear legumes, 2–4 cm long and 5–8 mm wide, containing 6–10 seeds. The pods have short-pubescent valves and sutures.[1]
Distribution and habitat
Erect milkpea is found from southeastern North Carolina south to the Florida Panhandle, and west to eastern Texas. It grows in longleaf pine sandhill communities.[2]
Erect milkpea is vulnerable to disturbance. It is often found in areas with native groundcover and struggles to reestablish in native savannas that were disturbed by agricultural use.[3]
Ecology
Galactia erecta flowers from April through July, and fruits from July to September.[2] It is known to increase in density with the reintroduction of fire disturbance to its habitat,[4] and is a characteristic species in a variety of fire-dependent habitats.[3]
It has been observed being consumed as a food source by gopher tortoises.[5]
References
- ↑ Core, Earl L. (1970-11-15). "Carolina Flora Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas A. E. Radford H. E. Ahles C. R. Bell". BioScience 20 (22): 1217–1217. doi:10.2307/1295633. ISSN 0006-3568. https://doi.org/10.2307/1295633.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Galactia erecta (Erect Milkpea) - FSUS" (in en). https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon.php&plantname=Galactia+erecta.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 KIRKMAN, L. K.; COFFEY, K. L.; MITCHELL, R. J.; MOSER, E. B. (2004-05-13). "Ground cover recovery patterns and life‐history traits: implications for restoration obstacles and opportunities in a species‐rich savanna". Journal of Ecology 92 (3): 409–421. doi:10.1111/j.0022-0477.2004.00883.x. ISSN 0022-0477. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-0477.2004.00883.x.
- ↑ Scot Duncan, R.; Anderson, Corinna B.; Sellers, Heather N.; Robbins, Erin E. (2007-09-10). "The Effect of Fire Reintroduction on Endemic and Rare Plants of a Southeastern Glade Ecosystem". Restoration Ecology 16 (1): 39–49. doi:10.1111/j.1526-100x.2007.00260.x. ISSN 1061-2971. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100x.2007.00260.x.
- ↑ BIRKHEAD, ROGER D.; GUYER, CRAIG; HERMANN, SHARON M.; MICHENER, WILLIAM K. (2005). [0143:pofasi2.0.co;2 "Patterns of Folivory and Seed Ingestion by Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in a Southeastern Pine Savanna"]. The American Midland Naturalist 154 (1): 143–151. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2005)154[0143:pofasi2.0.co;2]. ISSN 0003-0031. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2005)154[0143:pofasi]2.0.co;2.
Wikidata ☰ Q15536720 entry
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