Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba aurea

Draba grandis

golden Draba, golden Draba whitlow-grass, golden whitlow-grass, twisted-pod Draba

north Pacific Draba
Habit Perennials; (not cespitose); caudex simple or branched; not scapose. Perennials; caudex simple or branched (fleshy, with persistent leaf bases); not scapose.
Stems

sometimes branched distally, (0.5–) 1–3.5(–5.2) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes simple (non-crisped), 0.4–1.3 mm, and 3–6-rayed ones, 0.1–0.5 mm.

(decumbent), unbranched, (0.2–)0.5–2.7(–3.7) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes 2–4-rayed, 0.05–0.2 mm.
Basal leaves

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole (distinct or obscure) ciliate, (trichomes simple, to 0.8 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, (0.4–)1–3.7(–5) cm × (1–)2–7(–10) mm, margins entire or denticulate, surfaces pubescent, trichomes stalked, (2–)4–7 (or 8)-rayed, 0.2–0.5(–0.6) mm.

rosulate; long-petiolate;

petiole (winged, (1–)4–15 cm), often not ciliate (or ciliate to blade apex, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.8 mm);

blade (somewhat fleshy), oblanceolate to spatulate or obovate, (1–)2–11(–17) cm × (5–)8–30(–45) mm, margins often coarsely dentate, (pubescent as petiole), surfaces usually pubescent, abaxially with stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.05–0.25 mm, adaxially similar, or also with simple and long-stalked, 2-rayed trichomes, to 0.8 mm, rarely glabrescent, with mostly simple and 2-rayed trichomes.
Cauline leaves

5–20(–26);

sessile;

blade oblong to lanceolate or ovate, margins entire or dentate, surfaces pubescent as basal, sometimes adaxially with simple trichomes.

2–12(–16);

sessile or petiolate;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, margins dentate or entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes

(10–)18–52(–72)-flowered, usually bracteate on proximalmost 1–12(–17) flowers, rarely ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

5–26(–32)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.
Flowers

sepals (green or yellowish), oblong, 2.2–3 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and branched);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 3.5–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm.

sepals broadly ovate, 3–4 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed);

petals yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, 4.5–7 × 1.8–3 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.7–1 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending to ascending or suberect, straight, 3–13(–20) mm, pubescent as stem.

horizontal to divaricate-ascending or ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, (5–)10–22(–27) mm, pubescent, trichomes 2–4-rayed (0.05–0.3 mm), sometimes with simple and spurred ones.
Fruits

(often subappressed to rachis), lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, (6–)9–14(–17) × 2–3.5 mm;

valves pubescent, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed, 0.05–0.3 mm;

ovules 28–38(–44) per ovary;

style 0.5–1.2(–1.5) mm.

oblong to lanceolate, or ovate to suborbicular, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, (6–)10–20(–25) × 4–7(–9) mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 24–52 per ovary;

style (0.2–)0.4–1.6(–2) mm.
Seeds

oblong, 0.9–1.3 × 0.5–0.7 mm.

ovoid, 1.4–2 × 0.8–1.2 mm.
2n

= 74.

= 36.

Draba aurea

Draba grandis
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Rock outcrops, talus, damp gullies and meadows, subalpine conifer woodlands, alpine slopes and turf, tundra, road banks, river gravel Rocky bluffs above salt-water beaches, loamy seaside banks, sea bird rookeries, coastal herbaceous tundra and sandy blowouts
Elevation (0-)700-4200 m ((0-)2300-13800 ft) 0-50(-200) m (0-200(-700) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NF; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; e Asia (Kuril and Ratmanov islands, Russian Far East)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba aurea is extremely variable in plant size, number of cauline leaves, number of bracteate flowers, style length, and fruit size, shape, orientation, twisting, and indumentum. Much of the variation in the number of bracts, style length, fruit twisting, and growth habit occurs in Greenland, where the type specimen was collected and where the species is found near sea level.

The highly deviant chromosome counts (e.g., 2n = 40 + 1, 64, 82) listed by R. C. Rollins (1993) and S. I. Warwick and I. A. Al-Shehbaz (2006) are mostly unvouchered and have to be disregarded; counts of 2n = ca. 80 have been re-assigned to Draba glabella. Published (G. A. Mulligan 2002) and unpublished counts made by Mulligan and M. D. Windham from Alaska, British Columbia, Colorado, Quebec, Utah, and Yukon indicate that the most common chromosome number of D. aurea is 2n = 74 (or 72). This suggests that the species is an allopolyploid (hexaploid or higher), incorporating genomes from both euploid and aneuploid lineages (M. A. Beilstein and Windham 2003). Detailed cytological and molecular studies are much needed to fully understand this widely distributed and highly variable species.

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

Almost all recent North American authors have used the name Draba hyperborea for this species. A. N. Berkutenko (1995) clearly showed that the type of that name belongs to an entirely different species that she placed in the genus Schivereckia Andrzejowski ex de Candolle. Draba grandis thus becomes the correct name for the North American taxon. Except for its fleshy leaves, Nesodraba is indistinguishable morphologically and molecularly from other species of Draba.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 294. FNA vol. 7, p. 309.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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
Synonyms D. aurea var. aureiformis, D. aurea var. leiocarpa, D. aurea var. luteola, D. aureiformis, D. aureiformis var. leiocarpa, D. bakeri, D. decumbens, D. henneana var. maccallae, D. luteola, D. luteola var. minganensis, D. maccallae, D. minganensis, D. surculifera, D. uber Cochlearia siliquosa, Cochlearia spathulata, D. greenei, D. hatchiae, D. hyperborea var. spathulata, D. spathulata, Nesodraba grandis, Nesodraba megalocarpa, Nesodraba siliquosa
Name authority Vahl ex Hornemann: Fors. Oecon. Plantel. ed. 2, 599. (1806) Langsdorff ex de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 355. (1821)
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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