Galactia jussiaeana Kunth. (1823: 336)

Ceolin, Guilherme B. & Miotto, Sílvia T. S., 2013, Synopsis of the genus Galactia (Phaseoleae, Papilionoideae, Leguminosae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 134 (1), pp. 1-26 : 9

15. Galactia jussiaeana Kunth. (1823: 336) . Type: — VENEZUELA. Detailed locality unknown, Bonpland 853

(holotype P) ( Fig. 3C ).

Galactia Jussiaeana var. angustifolia (Kunth) Burkart (1971: 714) . Type: — VENEZUELA. Cerro Tumiriqui: von Humboldt (holotype F 2384![photo]) .

Erect subshrub; leaves pinnately trifoliolate; inflorescence smaller than the leaf that subtends it, flowers densely aggregated.

Selected specimen: — BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: São Félix do Araguaia , 11º33’S, 51º13’W, 21 March 1997, V. C. Souza 14746 (UFMT) .

Distribution: —on some Caribbean Islands and in Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil (AP, BA, CE, MA, MS, MT, PA, PI, RR)

Habitat and ecology:—Amazonia, Cerrado and Caatinga, growing in open natural grassland, shrubland, along forest edges, in gallery forests and in anthropogenic grassland, often with periodic droughts, on sandy and rocky soils. Abundant, forming large populations.

Notes:— Galactia jussiaeana var. angustifolia is not recognised as a distinct taxon following Ceolin & Miotto (2011), who showed through a morphometrical study that the only difference between it and the typical variety of G. jussiaeana is the width of the leaflets, a character not considered worthy of supporting separate taxonomic rank.

Phenology:— Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. Galactia decumbens. B. Galactia dimorpha. C. Galactia jussiaeana. D. Galactia peduncularis.