Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba albertina

Draba malpighiacea

Alaska Draba, Alaska whitlow-grass, Alberta whitlow grass, slender Draba, slender whitlow-grass
Habit Annuals, biennials, or perennials; caudex (or base) simple or branched (poorly developed); rarely scapose. Perennials; caudex simple or branched (sometimes with persistent leaf bases); not 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, 0.5–1.5 dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes malpighiaceous, 0.2–0.5 mm, and sometimes simple.
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; petiolate;

petiole not ciliate;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.5–1.8 cm × 2–4 mm, margins entire or dentate, (not ciliate proximally), surfaces pubescent with malpighiaceous trichomes, 0.3–0.6 mm.
Cauline leaves

(0 or) 1–3(–5);

sessile;

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

4–13;

sessile;

blade broadly ovate to lanceolate, margins denticulate, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes

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

rachis straight or, rarely, flexuous, glabrous.

10–33-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous or pubescent, trichomes simple and/or malpighiaceous.
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 ovate, 2.5–3 mm, subapically pubescent, (trichomes simple and malpighiaceous);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 4–5 × 1.5–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.7–1 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-ascending, straight or curved upward, 6–13 mm, pubescent abaxially, trichomes simple and/or malpighiaceous.
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.

elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, plane, flattened, 5–10 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 14–18 per ovary;

style 0.8–1.2 mm.
Seeds

oblong, 0.7–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm.

ovoid, 1–1.4 × 0.7–0.9 mm.
2n

= 24.

Draba albertina

Draba malpighiacea
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Open woodlands, pine forests, meadows, rocky knolls, alpine slopes, stream banks, disturbed areas Rock outcrops and rocky slopes in subalpine conifer forests
Elevation 900-3700 m (3000-12100 ft) 3000-3500 m (9800-11500 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
CO
[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 malpighiacea, which is restricted to higher elevations in Hinsdale, La Plata, and Montezuma counties, has been included within D. spectabilis by previous authors. Preliminary data suggest that it is one of the diploid parents of tetraploid D. spectabilis. It is readily distinguished from all species of Draba in Canada and the United States by having a leaf indumentum of exclusively malpighiaceous trichomes. The only other species in the flora area with such trichomes is D. sibirica, a stoloniferous, scapose perennial known only from Greenland.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 288. FNA vol. 7, p. 318.
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. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, 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) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 12: 417. (2007)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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