Red Milk Pea

Title

Red Milk Pea

Authors

Ethan H. Freid

Scientific Name

Galactia rudolphioides (Griseb.) Benth. & Hook.f.

Description

Common Names

Red Milk Pea

Fabaceae

Galactia rudolphioides grows as a climbing or trailing vine, becoming woody with age, to 4 meters in length. The trifoliate leaves are arranged alternately. The leaflets are to 5 cm in length, oblong to ovate, with an acute or emarginate leaf apex and revolute leaflet margin.

The zygomorphic flowers are arranged in racemes. The calyx has 5 fused green petals. The corolla has 5 red petals, the upper enlarged to form the banner and the lower 2 fused to form the keel. There are 10 diadelphous stamens. The ovary is superior and has a single locule. The fruit is a legume at maturity.

Galactia rudolphioides grows in and along the edges of Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formation – Shrublands (scrublands) and Pine Woodlands. It can also be found along rocky shorelines.

Galactia rudolphioides occurs in the central and north island groupings of the Bahamian Archipelago as well as Cuba.

Galactia rudolphioides is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.