Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba alpina

Draba verna

alpine Draba

common Draba, common whitlow-grass, early witlow grass, nailwort, shadflower, spring Draba, spring whitlow-grass, spring whitlow-mustard, vernal whitlow grass, whitlow grass, whitlow wort
Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves or leaf remains); scapose. Annuals; 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.

(few to many from base), unbranched, (0.2–)0.5–2(–3) dm, pubescent proximally, glabrous distally, trichomes simple and 2(–4)-rayed, 0.1–0.4 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; petiolate;

blade obovate, spatulate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, oblong, or, rarely, linear, 0.2–1.8(–3) cm × (0.5–)1–5(–10) mm, margins entire or 1–5-toothed on each side, surfaces pubescent with simple or stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm.
Cauline leaves

0.

0.
Racemes

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

4–20(–30)-flowered, ebracteate, usually considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis usually flexuous, 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 (green or purplish), oblong, 1–2.5 mm, glabrescent or pubescent, (trichomes simple or 2-rayed);

petals white, deeply 2-fid, (1.5–)2–4.5(–6) × 1–2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.4 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

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

divaricate to ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, (2–)5–20(–35) mm, glabrous.
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).

obovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, or linear, plane, flattened, (2.5–)4–9(–12) × 1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (20–)32–70(–84) per ovary;

style 0.02–0.2 mm.
Seeds

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

ovoid (slightly flattened), 0.3–0.6(–0.8) × 0.2–0.4 mm.
2n

= 80.

= 14, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 52, 54, 58, 60, 64.

Draba alpina

Draba verna
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat Moist tundra and ridges, sand and gravel flats or beaches Cedar glades, lawns, fields, pastures, waste places, grassy hillsides, disturbed sites, roadsides
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 0-2500 m (0-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LB; MB; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; ON; QC; Europe; Asia; nw Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America, South America, Australia]
[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 verna represents a highly variable and taxonomically difficult complex within which species, subspecies, varieties, and forms have been named (O. E. Schulz 1927); only those synonyms pertaining to North America are listed above. Most of the taxonomic difficulties are the results of disploidy, autogamy, and hybridization. The morphological extremes are connected by intermediate forms in every conceivable character. Furthermore, there appears to be no correlation between morphology, cytology, geography, and ecology to support the division of this complex into meaningful taxa. A complex cytological picture was presented by Ø. Winge (1940), including the highest count of 2n = 94, which has not been confirmed by subsequent botanists.

Erophila vulgaris de Candolle is an illegitimate name for Draba verna.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 290. FNA vol. 7, p. 345.
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. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. alpina var. hydeana, D. alpina var. inflatisiliqua D. boerhaavii, D. praecox, D. verna var. aestivalis, D. verna var. boerhaavii, Erophila boerhaavii, Erophila krockeri, Erophila praecox, Erophila verna, Erophila verna subsp. praecox
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753)
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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