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Rocky Mountain Draba

mound Draba, parasol Draba

Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex simple or branched (with persistent leaf bases); not scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, densely pulvinate); caudex branched (densely covered with persistent leaves and remains, branches tightly grouped, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); 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.

unbranched, (0.05–)0.1–0.25 dm, densely pubescent throughout, trichomes (grayish), stalked, dendritic, 5–12-rayed, 0.1–0.25 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.

(densely imbricate); rosulate;

sessile;

blade obovate to broadly oblong, 0.2–0.4 cm × 0.6–1.5 mm, margins entire, (not ciliate), surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes (grayish), stalked, dendritic, 5–12-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm, (sometimes with long-stalked and spurred trichomes adaxially).

Cauline leaves

(1–)3–9(–12) (as bracts);

sessile;

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

0.

Racemes

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

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

2–5(–10)-flowered, ebracteate, subumbellate or slightly 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 oblong, 1.8–2.8 mm, pubescent, (trichomes dendritic);

petals yellow, spatulate, 2.8–4 × 1–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 3–10(–15) mm, usually pubescent as stem, rarely glabrous.

divaricate-ascending, straight, 1.5–3(–6) mm, glabrous or pubescent as stem.

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.

ovoid to ovoid-lanceolate, plane, inflated and sometimes subgibbous basally, flattened distally, 2–5 × 2–3 mm;

valves pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, dendritic, 4–12-rayed, (sometimes spurred), 0.05–0.2 mm;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.6 mm.

Seeds

ovoid, 1.2–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm.

oblong, 1–1.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm.

2n

= 18.

Draba graminea

Draba subumbellata

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky areas and ridges, alpine tundra, gravel bars in streams Wind-eroded areas, alpine fellfields, rock crevices
Elevation 3000-4100 m (9800-13500 ft) 3300-4100 m (10800-13500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[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.)

Draba subumbellata is similar to, and sympatric with, D. oligosperma. It is distinguished from the latter by having stalked, stellate to dendritic leaf trichomes, subumbellate racemes, fruiting pedicels 1.5–3.0(–6.0) mm, fruits pubescent with mostly 4–12-rayed trichomes, and well-formed anthers and pollen. By contrast, D. oligosperma has sessile or subsessile, pectinately-branched leaf trichomes, elongated racemes, fruiting pedicels (2–)3–10(–13) mm, fruits glabrous or pubescent with simple and 2-rayed trichomes, and abortive anthers and/or pollen. Draba subumbellata is restricted to the White Mountains (Esmeralda County, Nevada, and Mono County, California) and to Coyote Ridge in the Sierra Nevada (Inyo County, California).

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 309. FNA vol. 7, p. 343.
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. 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. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms Braya graminea, D. chrysantha var. graminea, D. chrysantha var. hirticaulis
Name authority Greene: Pl. Baker. 3: 5. (1901) Rollins & R. A. Price: Aliso 12: 25, figs. 1k–n, 4. (1988)
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