Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba cana

Draba zionensis

Brewer's Draba, canescent Draba, canescent whitlow-mustard, cushion Draba, hoary Draba, hoary whitlow-grass, lance-leaf Draba, lance-leaf whitlow-grass
Habit Perennials; caudex simple or branched (branches short); not scapose. Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (with persistent leaf bases, branches sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose.
Stems

unbranched or branched distally, (0.6–)1–3(–3.8) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes simple, 0.5–1mm, with 4–10-rayed ones, 0.05–0.2 mm (mostly branched on basal parts).

unbranched, 0.5–1.5(–1.8) dm, usually sparsely pubescent proximally, usually glabrous distally, rarely throughout, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.8 mm, often with smaller, 2–4-rayed ones.
Basal leaves

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole ciliate throughout;

blade linear to oblanceolate or oblong, (0.5–)0.8–2(–3.5) cm × 1.5–4(–11) mm, margins entire or dentate, (base and apex ciliate, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.8 mm), surfaces pubescent with short-stalked, 4–12-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.3 mm.

rosulate; shortly petiolate;

petiole base sometimes ciliate (margin not ciliate, trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.2–0.5 mm);

blade spatulate to obovate, 0.7–3.5 cm × 3–10(–12) mm, margins usually entire, rarely obscurely dentate (near apex), surfaces sparsely pubescent with stalked, (2–)4 (or 5)-rayed trichomes, 0.05–0.5 mm, (midvein obscure).
Cauline leaves

3–10(–17), (not overlapping);

sessile;

blade lanceolate to ovate or oblong, margins entire or dentate, surfaces pubescent as basal (adaxially with simple and forked trichomes near blade base).

0.
Racemes

(10–)15–47(–63)-flowered, basally bracteate, often considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, densely pubescent, trichomes 4–10-rayed (0.05–0.2 mm), and fewer simple ones.

14–36-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous.
Flowers

sepals (green or lavender), oblong to ovate, 1.5–2 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and few-rayed);

petals white, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2.3–3.7(–4.5) × 0.7–1.7 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.1–0.2 mm.

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

petals orange-yellow (fading pale yellow), broadly spatulate to subovate, 5–6 × 1.8–2.8 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

suberect or ascending, straight, 2–5(–10) mm, pubescent as rachis.

ascending to divaricate-ascending, straight, (not expanded basally), (4–)5–12(–15) mm, glabrous.
Fruits

(subappressed to rachis), linear-lanceolate to linear or, rarely, ovate-oblong, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, (5–)6–11 × 1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

valves pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 3–7-rayed, 0.05–0.3 mm;

ovules 28–48 per ovary;

style 0.1–0.6 mm.

lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or ovate, plane (not curved), flattened, 6–12(–17) × 2–3 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 12–20 per ovary;

style 0.4–1 mm.
Seeds

ovoid, 0.5–0.7(–0.9) × 0.3–0.5 mm.

oblong, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.8 mm.
2n

= 32.

= 26.

Draba cana

Draba zionensis
Phenology Flowering (May-)Jun–Aug. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Rock outcrops and talus, open prairie benchlands, roadsides, meadows, alpine tundra Sandstone (rarely limestone) rock outcrops and sandy slopes in pinyon-juniper or pine communities
Elevation 0-4100 m (0-13500 ft) 1000-2500 m (3300-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; ME; MI; MT; NH; NM; NV; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The limits of Draba cana have long been confused, and the species was treated as a synonym of the Himalayan D. lanceolata Royle (M. L. Fernald 1934; C. L. Hitchcock 1941) or as a variety of the western North American D. breweri (R. C. Rollins 1993). However, G. A. Mulligan (1971) clearly demonstrated that all three are distinct and should be maintained. Some Utah plants corresponding to the type of D. valida have shorter and wider oblong-ovate fruits. In all other aspects, they are indistinguishable from D. cana. Additional studies are needed to establish whether such plants should be formally recognized.

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

R. C. Rollins (1993) treated Draba zionensis as a variety of D. asprella, but its true relationships appear to lie with two other southern Utah endemics, D. sobolifera and D. subalpina. Draba zionensis is easily distinguished from D. subalpina by having orange-yellow (versus white) petals, and from D. asprella and D. sobolifera by its glabrous (versus pubescent) pedicels and stems distally. Nearly all populations of the species are found in and around Zion National Park in southwestern Utah (Iron, Kane, and Washington counties). A specimen supposedly from the Deep Creek Mountains (Juab County) may be mislabeled.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 298. FNA vol. 7, p. 346.
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. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, 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. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis
Synonyms D. breweri var. cana, D. valida D. asprella var. zionensis
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 241. (1902) C. L. Hitchcock: Revis. Drabas W. N. Amer., 49, plate 2, fig. 16. (1941)
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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