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Rocky Mountain Draba

north Pacific Draba

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

unbranched, 0.1–0.5(–0.8) dm, usually pubescent throughout, rarely glabrous, trichomes simple or subsessile, 2-rayed or spurred, (crisped), 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 ciliate, (trichomes usually straight and simple, rarely also 2-rayed, 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm);

blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–4 cm × 0.3–2(–3) mm, margins entire (pubescent as petiole), surfaces glabrous.

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

(1–)3–9(–12) (as bracts);

sessile;

blade linear to oblanceolate or lanceolate, margins entire, (ciliate proximally, similar to basal).

2–12(–16);

sessile or petiolate;

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

Racemes

3–15-flowered, bracteate, elongated in fruit;

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

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

Flowers

sepals ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed);

petals yellow, spatulate to obovate, 3–5 × 1.5–3 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 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, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 3–10(–15) mm, usually pubescent as stem, rarely glabrous.

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

ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, 5–11 × 2.5–5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 8–16 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.7 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

ovoid, 1.2–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm.

ovoid, 1.4–2 × 0.8–1.2 mm.

2n

= 18.

= 36.

Draba graminea

Draba grandis

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Rocky areas and ridges, alpine tundra, gravel bars in streams Rocky bluffs above salt-water beaches, loamy seaside banks, sea bird rookeries, coastal herbaceous tundra and sandy blowouts
Elevation 3000-4100 m (9800-13500 ft) 0-50(-200) m (0-200(-700) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; e Asia (Kuril and Ratmanov islands, Russian Far East)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Draba graminea is occasionally confused with D. crassa, which occupies similar habitats and elevations. It is easily distinguished from the latter by having narrower [0.3–2(–3) versus 2.5–8(–10) mm wide] basal leaves and bracteate (versus ebracteate) racemes. It is known to us only from Hinsdale, La Plata, Ouray, San Juan, and San Miguel counties.

(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. 309. 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. 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. 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 Braya graminea, D. chrysantha var. graminea, D. chrysantha var. hirticaulis Cochlearia siliquosa, Cochlearia spathulata, D. greenei, D. hatchiae, D. hyperborea var. spathulata, D. spathulata, Nesodraba grandis, Nesodraba megalocarpa, Nesodraba siliquosa
Name authority Greene: Pl. Baker. 3: 5. (1901) Langsdorff ex de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 355. (1821)
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