Draba cinerea |
Draba serpentina |
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gray-leaf Draba, gray-leaf whitlow-grass |
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Habit | Perennials; (cespitose); caudex simple or branched; rarely scapose. | Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (with persistent leaves, branches sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose. |
Stems | unbranched, (0.3–)0.5–1.6(–2.7) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes 4–10-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm, (often some rays branched, simple trichomes sparse, to 0.6 mm). |
unbranched, 0.3–1.3 dm, glabrous throughout. |
Basal leaves | rosulate; petiolate; petiole base and proximalmost margin ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.2–0.8 mm); blade oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or linear-lanceolate, 0.4–1.5 cm × 1–5 mm, margins usually entire, rarely with 1 tooth on each side, surfaces densely pubescent with minutely stalked, stellate, 8–12-rayed, trichomes 0.1–0.25 mm, (midvein obscure abaxially, apex trichomes simple). |
rosulate; sessile; blade obovate to obovate-oblanceolate, 0.4–1 cm × (2–)2.5–4(–5) mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes simple, 0.2–0.5 mm, apex acute), surfaces glabrous. |
Cauline leaves | 0–3(–5); sessile; blade ovate or oblong to lanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal. |
0. |
Racemes | (3–)5–17(–24)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit; rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem. |
6–14-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit; rachis not flexuous, glabrous. |
Flowers | sepals ovate, 1.7–2.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2- or 3-rayed); petals white, spatulate to obovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm; anthers ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm. |
sepals ovate, 2–3 mm, glabrous; petals white, spatulate to obovate, 5–6.5 × 2–3 mm; anthers ovate to oblong, 0.4–0.5 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | divaricate-ascending or ascending, straight, (3–)4–7(–9) mm, pubescent as stem. |
divaricate-ascending, straight, 5–13 mm, glabrous. |
Fruits | oblong to elliptic, plane, slightly flattened, 5–8 × 2–3 mm; valves pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.05–0.3 mm, (some rays branched); ovules 20–36(–42) per ovary; style (0.1–)0.2–1 mm. |
lanceolate to narrowly oblong, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, 6–12 × 2–3.5 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 8–16 per ovary; style 0.6–1.8(–2.5) mm. |
Seeds | ovoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm. |
oblong, 1.1–1.4 × 0.7–0.8 mm. |
2n | = 48. |
= 52. |
Draba cinerea |
Draba serpentina |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Rock outcrops, ridges, meadows, gravel beaches, stream banks, alluvial fans | Rock outcrops, talus, and gravelly soil in mixed conifer and subalpine meadow communities |
Elevation | 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) | 3200-3600 m (10500-11800 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; BC; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, n Russia); e Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia) |
NV |
Discussion | Draba cinerea is a polymorphic species in which tetraploid, hexaploid, heptaploid, and octoploid chromosome counts (all based on x = 8) have been reported (e.g., R. C. Rollins 1993). Although we have not seen the type collection, we tentatively consider the taxon to be hexaploid, which is the predominant ploidy level throughout the species range, including North America, and also from its type region in Siberia. Hexaploid Draba cinerea is closely related to decaploid (2n = 80) D. arctica, from which it is distinguished with difficulty. In general, D. cinerea has 1–3(–5)-leaved stems, basal leaf blades usually not terminated with simple trichomes and with obscure midveins abaxially, petals 3.5–4.5 mm, and seeds 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm. By contrast, D. arctica has leafless or 1(–3)-leaved stems, basal leaf blades terminated with simple or 2-rayed trichomes and with midveins distinct abaxially, petals 3.5–6 mm, and seeds (0.8–)0.9–1.1 × (0.6–)0.7–0.8 mm. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Draba serpentina has been treated by other authors as a variety or synonym of D. oreibata. As indicated by I. A. Al-Shehbaz and M. D. Windham (2007), the two taxa are morphologically distinct, have different chromosome numbers, and are separated by over 480 kilometers. They are treated herein as separate species. Draba serpentina is known only from the Snake Range (White Pine County) and the Toiyabe Mountains (Lander County) in central Nevada. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 300. | FNA vol. 7, p. 335. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba | Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. magellanica subsp. cinerea | D. oreibata var. serpentina |
Name authority | Adams: Mém Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 103. (1817) | (Tiehm & P. K. Holmgren) Al-Shehbaz & Windham: Harvard Pap. Bot. 12: 414. (2007) |
Web links |