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Heller's Draba

gray-leaf Draba, gray-leaf whitlow-grass

Habit Biennials or perennials; (short-lived); caudex simple or branched; not scapose. Perennials; (cespitose); caudex simple or branched; rarely scapose.
Stems

branched, (0.1–)1.5–4.3(–5.1) dm, hirsute throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–1.3(–1.8) mm, with short-stalked to subsessile, 3–5-rayed ones, 0.2–0.4 mm, (some slightly coarser, 2-rayed).

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).

Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiolate;

petiole base ciliate or not;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.9–4.1(–5.2) cm × 2–7(–10) mm, margins entire or dentate, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, cruciform, and fewer 3–5-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.6 mm, adaxially with cruciform and simple trichomes, 0.4–1.3 mm, and smaller 2-rayed ones.

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).

Cauline leaves

(8–)12–31(–43);

sessile;

blade ovate to lanceolate or oblong, margins usually dentate, rarely subentire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

0–3(–5);

sessile;

blade ovate or oblong to lanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

Racemes

10–52(–83)-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost 1 or 2 flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

(3–)5–17(–24)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 2.5–4 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and stalked, 2-rayed);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 5–7 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm.

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.

Fruiting pedicels

horizontal to divaricate-ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, 4–10(–13) mm, pubescent as rachis abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

divaricate-ascending or ascending, straight, (3–)4–7(–9) mm, pubescent as stem.

Fruits

(not appressed to rachis), lanceolate to ovate or oblong-lanceolate, slightly to strongly twisted or plane, flattened, 5–15 × 2–3.5 mm;

valves puberulent, trichomes simple and subsessile, 2(–4)-rayed, 0.03–0.25(–0.8) mm;

ovules 14–28 per ovary;

style (1–)1.5–3.5 mm.

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.

Seeds

oblong, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

ovoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm.

2n

= 18.

= 48.

Draba helleriana

Draba cinerea

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Oak and pine-fir woodlands, aspen groves, rocky meadows Rock outcrops, ridges, meadows, gravel beaches, stream banks, alluvial fans
Elevation 2100-3600 m (6900-11800 ft) 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; Mexico (Nuevo León)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, n Russia); e Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba helleriana is highly variable and was divided by C. L. Hitchcock (1941) into four varieties. For a discussion of those and the circumscription of the species, see I. A. Al-Shehbaz and M. D. Windham (2007).

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 311. FNA vol. 7, p. 300.
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. heilii, 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. 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. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. aurea var. tylosa, D. helleriana var. leiocarpa, D. helleriana var. neomexicana, D. helleriana var. patens, D. helleriana var. pinetorum, D. neomexicana, D. neomexicana var. robusta, D. pallida, D. patens, D. pinetorum, D. stylosa D. magellanica subsp. cinerea
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 4: 17. (1899) Adams: Mém Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 103. (1817)
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