Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba breweri

Draba ramulosa

Brewer's whitlow grass, cushion Draba

Tushar Mountain Draba
Habit Perennials; (cespitose, grayish pubescent); caudex branched (sometimes covered with persistent leaf bases, branches short, compact); sometimes scapose. Perennials; (loosely matted, grayish); caudex branched (with persistent leaf bases, branches creeping, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); not scapose.
Stems

unbranched, (0.1–)0.2–1(–1.5) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes stalked, 4–10-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm.

unbranched, 0.4–0.6 dm, densely pubescent throughout, trichomes dendritic, 3–6-rayed, (often crisped), 0.1–0.4 mm.
Basal leaves

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole base ciliate, margin not ciliate, (trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.3–0.8 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, (0.3–)0.4–1.5(–2.5) cm × 1.5–3(–5) mm, margins usually entire, rarely dentate, surfaces densely pubescent with stalked, 4–10-rayed, stellate trichomes, 0.1–0.2 mm (sometimes 1 or more rays spurred).

(imbricate);

not rosulate;

sessile;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, 0.4–1.1 cm × 2–3.2 mm, margins entire, (base and margins not ciliate), surfaces pubescent with stalked, 4–8-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm, (sometimes 1 or more rays spurred), adaxially sometimes trichomes simple.
Cauline leaves

0–3(–6);

sessile;

blade oblong or lanceolate to ovate, margins entire (sometimes ciliate at base), surfaces usually pubescent as basal.

2 or 3 (sometimes basal leaves spaced, flowering stem appearing to 8-leaved);

sessile;

blade oblong to ovate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes

(5–)7–18(–24)-flowered, ebracteate, slightly to considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent with stalked, 4–10-rayed trichomes, (0.1–0.3 mm).

4–15-flowered, ebracteate or proximalmost 1 or 2 flowers bracteate, slightly elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.
Flowers

sepals (persistent), ovate, 1.2–2 mm, pubescent, (trichomes short-stalked, 2–6-rayed);

petals white, spatulate to oblanceolate, 2–3 × 0.7–1.1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.25 mm.

sepals broadly ovate, 1.7–2.4 mm, pubescent, (trichomes short-stalked, 2–5-rayed);

petals yellow, obovate to oblanceolate, 3–4.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

ascending, (sometimes slightly appressed to rachis), straight, 1.5–3(–4) mm, pubescent as rachis.

divaricate-ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 3–6(–10) mm, pubescent, trichomes 3–6-rayed, (crisped, 0.1–0.4 mm), and, sometimes, simple.
Fruits

lanceolate or oblong to linear, usually slightly to strongly twisted, rarely plane, flattened, 3.5–9(–11) × 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.05–0.25 mm;

ovules 28–40 per ovary;

style 0.1–0.3(–0.4) mm.

(not appressed to rachis), ovate to elliptic, plane, flattened, 4–6.5 × 2.5–4 mm;

valves densely pubescent, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.08–0.35 mm;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

style (0.1–)0.3–0.7 mm.
Seeds

ovoid, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.5 mm.

oblong, 1.4–1.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm.
2n

= 32.

Draba breweri

Draba ramulosa
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops, talus, exposed ridges, alpine areas Rock outcrops, talus, gravelly soils
Elevation 3100-4100 m (10200-13500 ft) 3300-3600 m (10800-11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The circumscription of Draba breweri was expanded by R. C. Rollins (1993) to include D. cana. Plants of D. cana differ from those of D. breweri by being non-cespitose (versus cespitose) and taller [(4–)10–30(–38) versus (1–)2–9(–15) cm], and by having basally bracteate (versus ebracteate) racemes, and stems, pedicels, and sepals pubescent with a mixture of simple and branched (versus exclusively branched) trichomes. Draba breweri is known to us from Alpine, Fresno, Inyo, Mono, Plumas, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties.

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

Of conservation concern.

Molecular and chromosomal data (M. D. Windham, unpubl.) strongly suggest that Draba ramulosa is an allopolyploid species. It is thought to have originated through hybridization between D. sobolifera and a member of the white-flowered, euploid lineage of M. A. Beilstein and M. D. Windham (2003). It is easily distinguished from D. sobolifera by having pale yellow to whitish (versus bright yellow) petals, grayish (versus green) foliage, non-ciliate (versus ciliate) basal leaves pubescent with 4–8-rayed (versus 2–4-rayed) trichomes, often proximally bracteate (versus ebracteate) racemes, and flattened (versus inflated basally) fruits. Draba ramulosa is known from the Tushar Mountains in south-central Utah (Beaver and Piute counties).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 297. FNA vol. 7, p. 332.
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. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, 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. 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. breweri var. sublaxa
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 260. (1888) Rollins: Contr. Gray Herb. 214: 6. (1984)
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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