Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba fladnizensis

Draba howellii

arctic Draba, Austrian Draba, Austrian whitlow-grass

Howell's Draba, Howell's whitlow-grass, rosette Draba
Habit Perennials; (sometimes cespitose); caudex simple or branched (with persistent leaf bases); usually scapose. Perennials; (loosely cespitose); caudex branched (somewhat surculose, with persistent leaf remains, branches sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); often scapose.
Stems

unbranched, (0.2–)0.3–1(–1.3) dm, glabrous.

unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–1.1(–1.5) dm, usually pubescent throughout, rarely glabrous, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed, 0.1–0.6 mm.
Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiole (obscure), margin ciliate, (trichomes simple or 2-rayed, 0.25–0.6 mm);

blade linear to oblanceolate or narrowly obovate, (0.3–)0.4–1.2(–1.6) cm × 1–3(–4) mm, margins usually entire, rarely toothed, surfaces abaxially pubescent or glabrous, trichomes simple, sometimes with fewer, short-stalked, 2-rayed ones, (midvein prominent), adaxially often glabrous.

rosulate;

blade (somewhat fleshy), oblanceolate or spatulate to obovate, 0.4–1.6(–2.5) cm × (1.5–)3–6(–10) mm, margins entire, surfaces pubescent with stalked, cruciform, and fewer 2- or 3-rayed trichomes, 0.07–0.5 mm, rarely both surfaces glabrous and trichomes on margins, (midvein obscure abaxially).
Cauline leaves

0–2;

sessile;

blade oblong to ovate, margins entire, (ciliate).

0–3 (or 4);

sessile;

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

(2 or) 3–11(–14)-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous.

(5–)7–18(–25)-flowered, usually ebracteate, sometimes proximalmost 1 or 2 flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, usually pubescent as stem, rarely glabrous.
Flowers

sepals (green or purplish), ovate, 1.2–2.2 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals white, spatulate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.25 mm.

sepals ovate, 2.5–3.2 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes 2–4-rayed);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 5.5–8 × 1–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.7–0.9 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, often straight, (1–)2–5(–6) mm, glabrous.

divaricate-ascending, straight, (4–)7–10 mm, usually pubescent as stem, rarely glabrous.
Fruits

elliptic-lanceolate to oblong, plane, flattened, 3–8(–9) × 1.5–2 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 12–24 per ovary;

style 0.05–0.2(–0.3) mm.

lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate or broadly ovate, plane (not curved), strongly flattened, 6–11(–15) × 3–5 mm;

valves usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed, 0.05–0.3 mm;

ovules 8–22 per ovary;

style (0.7–)1.6–3 mm.
Seeds

oblong to elliptic, 0.8–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.

oblong, 1–1.6 × 0.8–1 mm, (sometimes distally appendaged).
2n

= 16.

Draba fladnizensis

Draba howellii
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops and talus, alpine meadows, sandy gravel Rocky summits, cracks in granite walls, rock crevices
Elevation 0-1400 m at higher latitudes, 3000-3800 m at lower latitudes (0-4600 ft at higher latitudes, 9800-12500 ft at lower latitudes) 1900-2700 m (6200-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; UT; WY; BC; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; c Europe; s Europe; Asia; circumpolar and high alpine areas
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rollins reduced Draba pattersonii to a variety of D. fladnizensis and separated the two primarily on plant size and minor differences in fruit shape. Examination of D. fladnizensis specimens collected throughout Europe and North America reveals that the alleged differences between the two taxa are artificial. The type material of D. pattersonii, which was collected in Colorado, is a mixture of plants highly variable in their type of indumentum. The specimens have no flowers, but the habit, fruits, and leaves are nearly indistinguishable from those of D. fladnizensis from higher latitudes.

In the absence of flowers, the white-flowered Draba fladnizensis (2n = 16) is often confused with the yellow-flowered D. crassifolia (2n = 40). The latter is an annual or short-lived perennial that rarely forms a well-developed caudex, whereas D. fladnizensis almost always produces a distinct caudex. Although most individuals of both species are scapose, they occasionally produce one or two cauline leaves. The cauline leaves are usually glabrous in D. crassifolia and ciliate in D. fladnizensis; in the latter, the distalmost cauline leaf usually subtends the proximalmost flower. Finally, the seeds in D. fladnizensis are slightly larger (0.8–0.1 × 0.5–0.6 versus 0.7–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm) than those of D. crassifolia, though the reliability of this distinction needs to be examined in greater detail. N. H. Holmgren (2005b) reported D. fladnizensis from central Nevada, but we have not seen any material of the species from that state.

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

Draba howellii is known from Siskiyou and Trinity counties, California, and Josephine County, Oregon. One collection, Tracy 14623 (DS, GH, UC), is unusual in having glabrous stems, pedicels, and leaf blade surfaces. In this regard, it resembles D. carnosula, but in all other respects (bracts, seeds, inflorescences, etc.), it is indistinguishable from D. howellii. For characteristics distinguishing the two species, see 23. D. carnosula.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 307. FNA vol. 7, p. 312.
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. 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. 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. 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. fladnizensis var. pattersonii, D. pattersonii, D. pattersonii var. hirticaulis, D. wahlenbergii
Name authority Wulfen: in N. J. Jacquin, Misc. Austriac. 1: 147, plate 17, fig. 1. (1778) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 354. (1885)
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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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