Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba alpina

Draba stenoloba

alpine Draba

Alaska Draba, Alaska whitlow-grass
Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose. Biennials or perennials; (short-lived, not cespitose); caudex simple (not fleshy); 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.

often unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–3(–3.4) dm, pubescent proximally, usually glabrous distally, rarely sparsely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–4-rayed, 0.1–0.4(–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.

rosulate;

petiole (obscure), margin ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.2–0.4 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.4–2.6(–3.1) cm × 1.5–7(–10) mm, margins entire or denticulate, (ciliate as petiole), surfaces pubescent, abaxially with short-stalked, 3- or 4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm, adaxially with simple and stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm.
Cauline leaves

0.

(0 or) 1 or 2 (3 or 4);

sessile;

blade elliptic to lanceolate or ovate, margins toothed, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with short-stalked 3- or 4-rayed trichomes, adaxially with simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes.
Racemes

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

(2–)4–10(–15)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent.
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.

(chasmogamous, petaliferous);

sepals (green or purplish), oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.6–1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.25–0.4 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, 3–14(–19) mm (subequaling or shorter than fruit), usually glabrous, rarely pubescent, trichomes 2–4-rayed.
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).

linear or, rarely, linear-elliptic, plane, flattened, (8–)10–17(–20) × 1.5–2 mm;

valves usually glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent, trichomes simple;

ovules 24–36 per ovary;

style 0.01–0.15 mm.
Seeds

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

ovoid, 0.9–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.
2n

= 80.

= 40.

Draba alpina

Draba stenoloba
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches Grassy knolls, glacial moraines and creek banks, mesic meadows, alpine thickets
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 600-2300 m (2000-7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; YT
[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 stenoloba is occasionally confused with D. albertina, but is easily recognized by having exclusively 2–4-rayed (versus mostly simple) trichomes on stems proximally. It is rarely encountered and apparently confined to the Pacific Northwest. In contrast, D. albertina is common and widespread in the mountains of western North America.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 290. FNA vol. 7, p. 340.
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. 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. 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. acinacis, D. hirta var. siliquosa, D. macouniana, D. nemorosa var. stenoloba, D. nitida var. praelonga, D. oligantha, D. stenoloba var. oligantha
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753) Ledebour: Fl. Ross. 1: 154. (1841)
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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