Burke: Draba aurea vs. Draba albertina

	Draba aurea	Draba albertina
	golden draba whitlow-grass	Alaska draba, slender whitlow-grass
Habit	Perennials not forming clumps; base unbranched or branched; stems typically 1-3.5 dm, occasionally branched distally, pubescent with simple trichomes and 3-6-rayed trichomes.	Annuals, biennials, or perennials; base unbranched or with poorly developed branching, uncommonly scapose; stems generally 0.5-3 dm, branched towards ends, pubescent near base, usually distally glabrous, with simple trichomes and occasionally some 2-rayed trichomes on stalks.
Leaves	Basal leaves forming rosettes, petioles ciliate with simple trichomes to 0.8 mm, blades narrower toward base, 1-3.7 cm long and 2-7 mm broad, margins entire or finely toothed, pubescent above and beneath, stalked trichomes with up to 8 rays, 0.2-0.5 mm; cauline leaves usually 5-20, sessile, ovate to lanceolate or sometimes narrower toward base, margins entire or dentate, pubescent above and beneath, upper surface sometimes with simple trichomes.	Basal leaves form rosettes; petioles short, up to 0.5 cm, ciliate; blade typically somewhat lanceolate, approximately 1-2.8 cm long and 2-6 mm broad; margins entire or finely toothed, ciliate with simple trichomes; usually pubescent above and beneath, rarely glabrous beneath, upper surface with stalked trichomes with 2-4 rays and uncommonly with simple trichomes along midvein, lower surface with simple trichomes and sometimes 2-rayed trichomes; cauline leaves generally 1-3, lanceolate to ovate, margins entire or finely toothed, pubescence same as basal leaves.
Flowers	Inflorescence racemose, generally 18-52 flowered, rarely up to 72 flowered, usually bracteate proximally; rachis rigid, pubescence same as stem; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending to nearly erect, not curved, 3-13 mm, same pubescence as stem; sepals 4, green to yellowish, oblong, 2.2-3 mm, pubescent with simple and branched trichomes; petals 4, yellow, slender and narrower toward base, 3.5-5 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm broad; anthers approximately 0.5 mm, ovate.	Inflorescence racemose, usually 6-30 flowered, without bracts, becoming elongated when in fruit; rachis straight, generally rigid, glabrous; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending or horizontal, usually not curved, slightly shorter than fruit, commonly glabrous; sepals 4, ovate, 1.4-2.1 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent with simple trichomes; petals 4, yellow, narrower at base, 2-3.2 mm long and 0.7-1.2 mm broad; anthers less than 0.25 mm, ovate.
Fruit(s)	Siliques, 6-17 mm long and 2-3.5 mm broad, often partially appressed to rachis, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or may be slender and narrower toward base, twisted or plane, flattened; valves pubescent with simple trichomes and 2-4-rayed trichomes on short stalks; ovaries containing 28-38 or more ovules; seeds oblong, 0.9-1.3 mm long and about half as wide.	Siliques lanceolate to linear, plane, flat, 6-12 mm long and 1.4-2.1 mm broad, valves not pubescent; ovaries generally containing 24-38 ovules; seeds oblong, 0.7-1 mm long and about half as wide.

	Draba aurea	Draba albertina
Flowering time	June-August	May-August
Habitat	Montane forest to alpine ridges or meadows.	Montane forest openings to alpine meadows.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in north-central Washington; Alaska to north-central Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains; Greenland. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	D. albertina, D. aureola, D. cana, D. crassifolia, D. densifolia, D. incerta, D. lonchocarpa, D. nemorosa, D. novolympica, D. oligosperma, D. platycarpa, D. praealta, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. stenoloba, D. taylori, D. taylorii, D. thompsonii, D. verna	D. aurea, D. aureola, D. cana, D. crassifolia, D. densifolia, D. incerta, D. lonchocarpa, D. nemorosa, D. novolympica, D. oligosperma, D. platycarpa, D. praealta, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. stenoloba, D. taylori, D. taylorii, D. thompsonii, D. verna
Web links	Local floras: BC, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Draba albertina

golden draba whitlow-grass

Alaska draba, slender whitlow-grass

Habit

Perennials not forming clumps; base unbranched or branched; stems typically 1-3.5 dm, occasionally branched distally, pubescent with simple trichomes and 3-6-rayed trichomes.

Annuals, biennials, or perennials; base unbranched or with poorly developed branching, uncommonly scapose; stems generally 0.5-3 dm, branched towards ends, pubescent near base, usually distally glabrous, with simple trichomes and occasionally some 2-rayed trichomes on stalks.

Leaves

Basal leaves forming rosettes, petioles ciliate with simple trichomes to 0.8 mm, blades narrower toward base, 1-3.7 cm long and 2-7 mm broad, margins entire or finely toothed, pubescent above and beneath, stalked trichomes with up to 8 rays, 0.2-0.5 mm;

cauline leaves usually 5-20, sessile, ovate to lanceolate or sometimes narrower toward base, margins entire or dentate, pubescent above and beneath, upper surface sometimes with simple trichomes.

Basal leaves form rosettes;

petioles short, up to 0.5 cm, ciliate;

blade typically somewhat lanceolate, approximately 1-2.8 cm long and 2-6 mm broad;

margins entire or finely toothed, ciliate with simple trichomes; usually pubescent above and beneath, rarely glabrous beneath, upper surface with stalked trichomes with 2-4 rays and uncommonly with simple trichomes along midvein, lower surface with simple trichomes and sometimes 2-rayed trichomes;

cauline leaves generally 1-3, lanceolate to ovate, margins entire or finely toothed, pubescence same as basal leaves.

Flowers

Inflorescence racemose, generally 18-52 flowered, rarely up to 72 flowered, usually bracteate proximally;

rachis rigid, pubescence same as stem; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending to nearly erect, not curved, 3-13 mm, same pubescence as stem;

sepals 4, green to yellowish, oblong, 2.2-3 mm, pubescent with simple and branched trichomes;

petals 4, yellow, slender and narrower toward base, 3.5-5 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm broad;

anthers approximately 0.5 mm, ovate.

Inflorescence racemose, usually 6-30 flowered, without bracts, becoming elongated when in fruit;

rachis straight, generally rigid, glabrous; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending or horizontal, usually not curved, slightly shorter than fruit, commonly glabrous;

sepals 4, ovate, 1.4-2.1 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent with simple trichomes;

petals 4, yellow, narrower at base, 2-3.2 mm long and 0.7-1.2 mm broad;

anthers less than 0.25 mm, ovate.

Fruit(s)

Siliques, 6-17 mm long and 2-3.5 mm broad, often partially appressed to rachis, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or may be slender and narrower toward base, twisted or plane, flattened;

valves pubescent with simple trichomes and 2-4-rayed trichomes on short stalks;

ovaries containing 28-38 or more ovules;

seeds oblong, 0.9-1.3 mm long and about half as wide.

Siliques lanceolate to linear, plane, flat, 6-12 mm long and 1.4-2.1 mm broad, valves not pubescent;

ovaries generally containing 24-38 ovules;

seeds oblong, 0.7-1 mm long and about half as wide.