Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba alpina

Draba novolympica

alpine Draba

Mt. Olympic Draba, Olympic Draba, Olympic Mountains Draba, Payson's Draba, Payson's whitlow-grass, Trelease's Draba, Trelease's whitlow-grass
Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, densely pulvinate); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves, branches creeping, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); 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.

unbranched, 0.05–0.4 dm, densely pubescent throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–0.8 mm, and stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.1–0.5 mm.
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.

(densely imbricate); rosulate;

sessile;

blade oblong to linear-oblanceolate, 0.2–0.8 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes simple and spurred, 0.3–1.2 mm), surfaces densely pubescent, abaxially with stalked, 2–12-rayed stellate trichomes, 0.1–0.6 mm, adaxially with simple and 2-rayed ones, 0.3–0.8 mm.
Cauline leaves

0.

0.
Racemes

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

2–12-flowered, ebracteate, slightly 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, 1.5–2.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed);

petals bright yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

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

divaricate-ascending, straight, 1–5 mm, pubescent, trichomes simple (0.3–0.9 mm) and stalked, 2–5-rayed (0.1–0.5 mm).
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).

often ovoid, plane, slightly inflated basally (symmetric), (2.5–)3–4(–5) × 1.5–3.5 mm;

valves densely pubescent, trichomes 2–6-rayed, 0.05–0.4 mm, occasionally some simple;

ovules 4–8(–12) per ovary;

style 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm.
Seeds

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

oblong, 1.2–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm.
2n

= 80.

= 42.

Draba alpina

Draba novolympica
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches Alpine crests, open knolls, fellfields, talus, weathered shale, calcareous shale scree, rocky grounds and cliffs, subalpine conifer forests
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 1500-3700 m (4900-12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[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 novolympica is the same taxon that C. L. Hitchcock (1941) and R. C. Rollins (1993) called D. paysonii var. treleasei, and G. A. Mulligan (2002) called D. paysonii. The two are amply distinct and should be recognized as separate species. Draba novolympica is easily distinguished from D. paysonii by having fruit valves pubescent with 2–6-rayed (occasionally some simple) trichomes 0.05–0.4 mm, sepals 1.5–2.5 mm, petals 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–2 mm, fruits (2.5–)3–4(–5) × 1.5–3.5 mm, styles 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm, and ovules 1.2–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm. By contrast, D. paysonii has fruit valves pubescent with simple and 2-rayed (some 4- or 5-rayed) trichomes (0.2–)0.4–1 mm, sepals 2.8–3.5 mm, petals (4–)5–6 × (1.5–)2–3 mm, fruits (5–)6–9 × (3–)3.5–5 mm, styles (0.6–)0.8–1.2 mm, and ovules 1.7–2.2 × 1–1.4 mm.

Both R. C. Rollins (1993) and N. H. Holmgren (2005b) indicated that Draba novolympica (as D. paysonii var. treleasei) occurs in Alaska and Yukon, but we have not seen any material from there, and it is likely that their records were based on misidentified plants. Previous reports of D. paysonii from Canada (e.g., G. A. Mulligan 1971b) pertain instead to D. novolympica.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 290. FNA vol. 7, p. 323.
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. 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. 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. barbata var. treleasei, D. paysonii var. treleasei
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753) Payson & H. St. John: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 43: 113. (1930)
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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