FNA: Draba alpina vs. Draba streptocarpa

	Draba alpina	Draba streptocarpa
	alpine Draba	pretty Draba, pretty whitlowgrass, twisted pod Draba
Habit	Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose.	Perennials; (tufted); caudex simple or branched (covered with persistent leaf remains); 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.	usually unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–2.5 dm, hirsute proximally, sparsely pubescent or glabrous distally or throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–2.2 mm, often with stalked, 2(–4)-rayed ones, 0.2–1 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; blade oblong-oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 0.5–3.8 cm × 1.5–6 mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes setiform, simple, 0.6–2.8 mm), surfaces strigose to hirsute abaxially with long-stalked, 2(–4)-rayed trichomes, 0.4–1.4 mm, usually with simple ones, strigose adaxially with simple trichomes, 0.7–2.4 mm.
Cauline leaves	0.	2–15; sessile; blade oblong to lanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes	6–18-flowered, ebracteate, considerably elongated in fruit; rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.	9–62-flowered, ebracteate or proximalmost 1–3 flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit; rachis not flexuous, sparsely pubescent as stem or glabrous.
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, 2.5–3.5 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, (trichomes simple, sometimes with stalked, 2-rayed ones); petals yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, (4–)5–7.5 × 1–2(–2.5) mm; anthers ovate, 0.5–0.7 mm.
Fruiting pedicels	ascending to divaricate-ascending, straight or, sometimes, slightly curved upwards, 4–14(–30) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed.	ascending, slightly curved or straight, 4–12 mm, glabrous or pubescent abaxially, trichomes simple (0.4–1.6 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).	ovate to linear-lanceolate, usually strongly twisted (to 3 turns), rarely plane, flattened, 5–16 × 2–3 mm; valves puberulent along margin, trichomes simple, 0.05–0.3 mm; ovules 20–34 per ovary; style (0.8–) 1–2(–2.5) mm.
Seeds	(pale brown), ovoid, 0.9–1.3 × 0.6–0.9 mm.	ovoid, 0.9–1.2 × 0.6–0.7 mm.
2n	= 80.	= 20, 40.

	Draba alpina	Draba streptocarpa
Phenology	Flowering Jun–Aug.	Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat	Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches	Rock outcrops, hillsides and meadows in open mixed conifer forests, aspen groves, and alpine tundra communities
Elevation	0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)	2400-4000 m (7900-13100 ft)
Distribution	LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CO; NM; WY [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 streptocarpa is easily recognized by its strongly twisted fruits and broad-based, simple cilia on the basal leaves. It is found primarily in Colorado, but has also been collected in Larimer County, Wyoming, and Mora, San Miguel, and Taos counties, New Mexico. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 7, p. 290.	FNA vol. 7, p. 342.
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. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, 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. streptocarpa var. tonsa, D. tonsa
Name authority	Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753)	A. Gray: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 242. (1862)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Draba streptocarpa

alpine Draba

pretty Draba, pretty whitlowgrass, twisted pod Draba

Habit

Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose.

Perennials; (tufted); caudex simple or branched (covered with persistent leaf remains); 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.

usually unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–2.5 dm, hirsute proximally, sparsely pubescent or glabrous distally or throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–2.2 mm, often with stalked, 2(–4)-rayed ones, 0.2–1 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;

blade oblong-oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 0.5–3.8 cm × 1.5–6 mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes setiform, simple, 0.6–2.8 mm), surfaces strigose to hirsute abaxially with long-stalked, 2(–4)-rayed trichomes, 0.4–1.4 mm, usually with simple ones, strigose adaxially with simple trichomes, 0.7–2.4 mm.

Cauline leaves

2–15;

sessile;

blade oblong to lanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

Racemes

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

9–62-flowered, ebracteate or proximalmost 1–3 flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, sparsely pubescent as stem or glabrous.

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, 2.5–3.5 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, (trichomes simple, sometimes with stalked, 2-rayed ones);

petals yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, (4–)5–7.5 × 1–2(–2.5) mm;

anthers ovate, 0.5–0.7 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

ascending, slightly curved or straight, 4–12 mm, glabrous or pubescent abaxially, trichomes simple (0.4–1.6 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).

ovate to linear-lanceolate, usually strongly twisted (to 3 turns), rarely plane, flattened, 5–16 × 2–3 mm;

valves puberulent along margin, trichomes simple, 0.05–0.3 mm;

ovules 20–34 per ovary;

style (0.8–) 1–2(–2.5) mm.

Seeds

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

ovoid, 0.9–1.2 × 0.6–0.7 mm.

= 80.

= 20, 40.

Draba alpina

Draba streptocarpa

Phenology

Flowering Jun–Aug.

Flowering May–Jul.

Habitat

Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches

Rock outcrops, hillsides and meadows in open mixed conifer forests, aspen groves, and alpine tundra communities

Elevation

0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)

2400-4000 m (7900-13100 ft)

Distribution

LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

CO; NM; WY

[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 streptocarpa is easily recognized by its strongly twisted fruits and broad-based, simple cilia on the basal leaves. It is found primarily in Colorado, but has also been collected in Larimer County, Wyoming, and Mora, San Miguel, and Taos counties, New Mexico.

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

Source

FNA vol. 7, p. 290.

FNA vol. 7, p. 342.

Parent taxa

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. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, 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. streptocarpa var. tonsa, D. tonsa

Name authority

Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753)

A. Gray: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 242. (1862)

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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Draba alpina

Draba streptocarpa

Draba alpina

Draba streptocarpa