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

Alaska Draba, Alaska whitlow-grass, Alberta whitlow grass, slender Draba, slender whitlow-grass

granite Draba

Habit Annuals, biennials, or perennials; caudex (or base) simple or branched (poorly developed); rarely scapose. Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent petiole remains, branches sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose.
Stems

branched distally, (0.3–)0.5–3(–4.2) dm, pubescent proximally, often glabrous distally, trichomes simple, 0.1–1 mm, sometimes with fewer, stalked, 2-rayed ones.

unbranched, 0.2–0.9 dm, hirsute throughout, trichomes simple, 0.2–0.8 mm.

Basal leaves

rosulate; shortly petiolate;

petiole (0–0.5 cm), ciliate throughout;

blade obovate to oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate, (0.3–)1–2.8(–3.5) cm × (1–)2–6(–9) mm, margins entire or denticulate, (ciliate, trichomes simple, 0.4–1 mm), surfaces usually pubescent, abaxially with stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.05–0.4(–0.5) mm, (rarely with simple trichomes along midvein), adaxially with simple trichomes sometimes also with 2-rayed ones, 0.07–0.4 mm, rarely glabrous.

rosulate; shortly petiolate;

petiole base and margin ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.1–1 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.5–2 cm × 2–5 mm, margins entire, surfaces pubescent with simple trichomes, 0.15–0.8 mm.

Cauline leaves

(0 or) 1–3(–5);

sessile;

blade lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, margins entire or denticulate, surfaces pubescent as basal.

0.

Racemes

(2–)6–30(–50)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis straight or, rarely, flexuous, glabrous.

4–16-flowered, ebracteate, (subumbellate), slightly elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, hirsute as stem.

Flowers

(chasmogamous, petaliferous);

sepals ovate, 1.4–2.1 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals yellow, spatulate to oblanceolate, 2–3.2 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.15–0.25 mm.

sepals (persistent) ovate, 1.5–2.2 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals (persistent), yellow, spatulate, 3.5–5 × 1.5–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending or horizontal, (not appressed to rachis), usually straight, rarely curved upward, (3–)5–14(–16) mm (subequaling or shorter than fruit), usually glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent.

divaricate to ascending (not decurrent basally), straight, 3–7 mm, hirsute as stem.

Fruits

lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or linear, plane, flattened, (4–)6–12(–15) × (1–)1.4–2.1 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (20–)24–38(–44) per ovary;

style 0.01–0.12 mm.

ovate to suborbicular, plane, flattened, 3.5–7 × 2.5–5 mm;

valves pubescent, trichomes simple, 0.1–0.3 mm;

ovules 10–16 per ovary;

style 0.4–1 mm.

Seeds

oblong, 0.7–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm.

ovoid, 1–1.2 × 0.7–0.8 mm.

2n

= 24.

Draba albertina

Draba longisquamosa

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jul.
Habitat Open woodlands, pine forests, meadows, rocky knolls, alpine slopes, stream banks, disturbed areas Gravelly areas
Elevation 900-3700 m (3000-12100 ft) 3000-3900 m (9800-12800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

O. E. Schulz (1927) and C. L. Hitchcock (1941) confused the limits of Draba albertina, D. crassifolia, and D. stenoloba; the latter author treated the first two species as conspecific. G. A. Mulligan (1975) demonstrated that the three taxa are chromosomally and morphologically distinct (see D. crassifolia and D. stenoloba for differences from D. albertina). The ranges of D. albertina and D. crassifolia overlap extensively, and occasional sterile hybrids are encountered.

The Alaskan record of Draba albertina is based on Minard 4 (ALA), collected on the northern coast of Afognak Island (58°22’N, 152°28’W). The record from New Mexico is based on O’Kane & Hedin 3871 (ISTC, SJC), collected in Chuska Mountains (36°8’11”N, 108°54’19”W).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Draba longisquamosa was treated as a synonym of D. lemmonii by both C. L. Hitchcock (1941) and R. C. Rollins (1993). We feel that the two taxa show sufficient morphological divergence and merit recognition as separate species (see I. A. Al-Shehbaz and M. D. Windham 2007 for more detailed discussion). Draba longisquamosa is currently known only from the southern Sierra Nevada in Fresno, Inyo, and Tulare counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 288. FNA vol. 7, p. 317.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba
Sibling taxa
D. abajoensis, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. crassifolia, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. exunguiculata, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. lonchocarpa, D. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. crassifolia, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. exunguiculata, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. lonchocarpa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. crassifolia var. albertina, D. crassifolia var. nevadensis, D. deflexa, D. nitida, D. nitida var. nana, D. stenoloba var. nana, D. stenoloba var. ramosa
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 4: 312. (1901) O. E. Schulz: in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 89[IV,105]: 94. (1927)
Web links