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

alpine Draba

Heller's Draba

Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose. Biennials or perennials; (short-lived); caudex simple or branched; not scapose.
Stems

unbranched, (0.3–)0.5–1.7(–2.8) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.3–0.8 mm, with 3–5-rayed ones, 0.1–0.3 mm.

branched, (0.1–)1.5–4.3(–5.1) dm, hirsute throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–1.3(–1.8) mm, with short-stalked to subsessile, 3–5-rayed ones, 0.2–0.4 mm, (some slightly coarser, 2-rayed).

Basal leaves

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole base (not thickened), ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.3–1 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate or lanceolate to oblong, 0.8–3(–4.5) cm × 2.5–6(–9) mm, margins entire, surfaces abaxially pubescent with stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm, with simple ones (midvein obscure, not thickened), adaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple and stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes.

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole base ciliate or not;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.9–4.1(–5.2) cm × 2–7(–10) mm, margins entire or dentate, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, cruciform, and fewer 3–5-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.6 mm, adaxially with cruciform and simple trichomes, 0.4–1.3 mm, and smaller 2-rayed ones.

Cauline leaves

0.

(8–)12–31(–43);

sessile;

blade ovate to lanceolate or oblong, margins usually dentate, rarely subentire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

Racemes

6–18-flowered, ebracteate, considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

10–52(–83)-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost 1 or 2 flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

Flowers

sepals (purplish tinged), narrowly ovate, 2.5–3 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and fewer, stalked, 2-rayed);

petals bright yellow, narrowly obovate, 3.5–5 × 1.7–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

sepals oblong, 2.5–4 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and stalked, 2-rayed);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 5–7 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

ascending to divaricate-ascending, straight or, sometimes, slightly curved upwards, 4–14(–30) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed.

horizontal to divaricate-ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, 4–10(–13) mm, pubescent as rachis abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Fruits

elliptic, plane, flattened, 6–10 × 2–3 mm;

valves glabrous or glabrescent, trichomes simple, (not confined to replum);

ovules 12–24 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.3 mm (stigma about as wide as style).

(not appressed to rachis), lanceolate to ovate or oblong-lanceolate, slightly to strongly twisted or plane, flattened, 5–15 × 2–3.5 mm;

valves puberulent, trichomes simple and subsessile, 2(–4)-rayed, 0.03–0.25(–0.8) mm;

ovules 14–28 per ovary;

style (1–)1.5–3.5 mm.

Seeds

(pale brown), ovoid, 0.9–1.3 × 0.6–0.9 mm.

oblong, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

2n

= 80.

= 18.

Draba alpina

Draba helleriana

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches Oak and pine-fir woodlands, aspen groves, rocky meadows
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 2100-3600 m (6900-11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; Mexico (Nuevo León)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The synonymy above includes two North American names overlooked by C. L. Hitchcock (1941) and R. C. Rollins (1993). Draba alpina was broadly delimited by O. E. Schulz (1927) and included 17 varieties, some of which (e.g., corymbosa, oxycarpa, pilosa) are recognized herein as distinct species. The name D. alpina was so misapplied that it was used for any circumpolar or alpine, scapose, yellow-flowered, perennial Draba. Various chromosome numbers (e.g., 2n = 64, 80, 112, 120; S. I. Warwick and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2006) have been reported for the species. As circumscribed here, it has the narrow distribution outlined above and includes plants with 2n = 80. Reports of the species from Alaska, Canadian Northwest Territories and Yukon, Siberia, eastern Asia, Russian Far East, and the Central Asian republics are either suspect or very unlikely. The entire D. alpina complex (including the above three species, D. glacialis Adams, D. macounii, etc.) is in need of critical molecular, cytological, and morphological study.

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

Draba helleriana is highly variable and was divided by C. L. Hitchcock (1941) into four varieties. For a discussion of those and the circumscription of the species, see I. A. Al-Shehbaz and M. D. Windham (2007).

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 290. FNA vol. 7, p. 311.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba
Sibling taxa
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, 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. 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
Synonyms D. alpina var. hydeana, D. alpina var. inflatisiliqua D. aurea var. tylosa, D. helleriana var. leiocarpa, D. helleriana var. neomexicana, D. helleriana var. patens, D. helleriana var. pinetorum, D. neomexicana, D. neomexicana var. robusta, D. pallida, D. patens, D. pinetorum, D. stylosa
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753) Greene: Pittonia 4: 17. (1899)
Web links