Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba heilii

Draba verna

common Draba, common whitlow-grass, early witlow grass, nailwort, shadflower, spring Draba, spring whitlow-grass, spring whitlow-mustard, vernal whitlow grass, whitlow grass, whitlow wort
Habit Perennials; (densely cespitose); caudex few-branched (compact, with persistent, thickened leaves); not scapose. Annuals; scapose.
Stems

unbranched or branched distally, 0.3–0.7 dm, glabrous throughout or, rarely, pilose, trichomes simple and stalked, 2-rayed, 0.2–0.5 mm.

(few to many from base), unbranched, (0.2–)0.5–2(–3) dm, pubescent proximally, glabrous distally, trichomes simple and 2(–4)-rayed, 0.1–0.4 mm.
Basal leaves

(persistent, imbricate); rosulate; undifferentiated into blade and petiole (becoming indurate at base);

blade linear-lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 cm × 1–1.5(–2) mm, margins entire, surfaces glabrous or, rarely, pilose with simple and stalked, 2-rayed trichomes, (margins ciliate with simple and, rarely, 2-rayed setiform trichomes, 0.5–1.3 mm, midvein prominent).

rosulate;

petiolate;

blade obovate, spatulate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, oblong, or, rarely, linear, 0.2–1.8(–3) cm × (0.5–)1–5(–10) mm, margins entire or 1–5-toothed on each side, surfaces pubescent with simple or stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm.
Cauline leaves

6–8;

sessile;

blade linear-oblong, 0.5–0.8 cm × 1–2 mm (widest about base), margins entire, (ciliate).

0.
Racemes

10–26-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent, (trichomes non-crisped, simple and 2-rayed).

4–20(–30)-flowered, ebracteate, usually considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis usually flexuous, glabrous.
Flowers

sepals ovate, 1.7–2.7 mm, usually glabrous, rarely pilose, (trichomes simple);

petals yellow, oblong-oblanceolate, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

sepals (green or purplish), oblong, 1–2.5 mm, glabrescent or pubescent, (trichomes simple or 2-rayed);

petals white, deeply 2-fid, (1.5–)2–4.5(–6) × 1–2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.4 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

ascending, straight, 3–5(–7) mm, usually glabrous, rarely pilose, (trichomes simple and 2-rayed, stalked).

divaricate to ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, (2–)5–20(–35) mm, glabrous.
Fruits

narrowly lanceolate, twisted 1/2 turn or plane, flattened, 7–10 × 1.3–1.6 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 16–20 per ovary;

style 0.7–1.3 mm.

obovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, or linear, plane, flattened, (2.5–)4–9(–12) × 1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (20–)32–70(–84) per ovary;

style 0.02–0.2 mm.
Seeds

ovoid, 1 × 0.6 mm.

ovoid (slightly flattened), 0.3–0.6(–0.8) × 0.2–0.4 mm.
2n

= 14, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 52, 54, 58, 60, 64.

Draba heilii

Draba verna
Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat Alpine tundra Cedar glades, lawns, fields, pastures, waste places, grassy hillsides, disturbed sites, roadsides
Elevation ca. 3700 m (ca. 12100 ft) 0-2500 m (0-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; ON; QC; Europe; Asia; nw Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America, South America, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba heilii is restricted to Mora and Rio Arriba counties.

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

Draba verna represents a highly variable and taxonomically difficult complex within which species, subspecies, varieties, and forms have been named (O. E. Schulz 1927); only those synonyms pertaining to North America are listed above. Most of the taxonomic difficulties are the results of disploidy, autogamy, and hybridization. The morphological extremes are connected by intermediate forms in every conceivable character. Furthermore, there appears to be no correlation between morphology, cytology, geography, and ecology to support the division of this complex into meaningful taxa. A complex cytological picture was presented by Ø. Winge (1940), including the highest count of 2n = 94, which has not been confirmed by subsequent botanists.

Erophila vulgaris de Candolle is an illegitimate name for Draba verna.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 311. FNA vol. 7, p. 345.
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. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, 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. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. boerhaavii, D. praecox, D. verna var. aestivalis, D. verna var. boerhaavii, Erophila boerhaavii, Erophila krockeri, Erophila praecox, Erophila verna, Erophila verna subsp. praecox
Name authority Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 14: 83, fig. 1. (2009) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 642. (1753)
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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