Galactia dubia DC.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Galactia dubia DC.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbaceous to woody twining vine to 2 m long, covered with appressed whitish hairs; stems slender, wiry, pubescent. Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets 1-4 x 0.8-2 cm, elliptic, oblong, or obovate, subcoriaceous, pubescent and paler on lower surface, the apex mucronate, notched or rounded, the base rounded, the margins entire; petioles 1-2 cm long; stipules lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, persistent; stipels wanting. Pseudoracemes axillary, few-flowered, 1-4 cm long, pubescent; bracts minute, persistent. Calyx nearly bell-shaped, 5-10 mm long, pilose; corolla light pink to lavender, the standard oblong-elliptic, greenish at base within, 12-15 mm long, reflexed, the wings and keel slightly shorter than the standard. Legume 3-6 cm long, 5-5.5 mm wide, oblong-linear, flattened, slightly curved, pubescent. Seeds ca. 4 mm long, beanshaped, dark brown.

  • Discussion

    Common name: iron weed.

  • Distribution

    Common in open disturbed areas and in coastal scrub or forests. Fish Bay (A3114), Maria Bluff (A2331), Salt Pond (M17062). Also on Anegada, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola; Puerto Rico (including Mona, Vieques, Culebra, and Icacos), the Lesser Antilles.

    West Indies| Puerto Rico South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Anegada Virgin Islands South America|