The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

golden draba whitlow-grass

whitlow-wort, Yellowstone draba whitlow-wort

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. Loosely tufted, scapose perennial, the scapes 1-20 cm. long, often with 1 bract, pubescent with stellate and irregularly branched hairs.
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.

Leaves alternate, somewhat imbricate, linear-oblanceolate, 7-13 mm. long and 1.5-3.5 mm. broad, the margins with simple to branched hairs, the under surface pubescent with irregularly branched hairs, with some branched along both sides of the hair stem.

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; pedicles about equaling the fruit;

sepals 4, erect;

petals 4, yellow, fading to white, 4-5 mm. long;

stamens 6;

style 0.4-1 mm. long.

Fruits

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.

Silicles ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, scarcely inflated, 6-10 mm. long and 2.5-3.75 mm. broad, usually pubescent with coarse, short, stiff, simple or branched hairs.

Draba aurea

Draba incerta

Flowering time June-August June-August
Habitat Montane forest to alpine ridges or meadows. Alpine and subalpine slopes.
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 in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains in Washington; British Columbia and Alberta south to Washington, east to Montana and Wyoming.
[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. albertina, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. cana, D. crassifolia, D. densifolia, 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