Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba juvenilis

Draba ruaxes

long-stalk Draba, long-stalk whitlow-grass

coast mountain Draba, coast mountain whitlow-grass, coast mountain whitlow-grass Draba, Rainier Draba
Habit Perennials; (not pulvinate); caudex branched (branches slightly loose, with persistent leaf remains, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); often scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, forming tufts); caudex branched (with persistent leaf bases, branches some terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose.
Stems

unbranched, (0.3–)0.8–2.3(–3) dm, pubescent proximally, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed, 0.07–0.4 mm.

unbranched, 0.2–0.6(–0.8) dm, often pubescent throughout, sometimes glabrate distally, trichomes simple, 0.4–1 mm, and 2–4-rayed, 0.1–0.4 mm.
Basal leaves

(loosely) rosulate;

petiolate;

petiole base ciliate, margin not ciliate, (midvein obscure, trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.2–0.7 mm);

blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, (0.3–)0.6–2.5(–3.5) cm × (1–)2–7(–10) mm, margins entire or denticulate, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, cruciform trichomes, 0.2–0.5 mm, adaxially with cruciform and/or simple and 2-rayed ones.

rosulate;

subsessile;

petiole base and margin ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.4–1.4 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate or suborbicular, 0.3–1 cm × 2–4.5 mm, margins entire, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, 2–10-rayed, stellate trichomes, 0.2–0.8 mm, adaxially with simple trichomes, 0.4–1 mm, sometimes with smaller, 2–4-rayed ones, (midvein obscure).
Cauline leaves

0–2 (or 3);

sessile;

blade elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, margins usually entire, rarely denticulate, surfaces pubescent as basal adaxially or trichomes predominantly simple.

0.
Racemes

(2–)4–13(–18)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous or sparsely pubescent as stem.

(2–)4–10(–14)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem or glabrous.
Flowers

sepals ovate, 2.2–3 mm, glabrous or pubescent subapically, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed);

petals pale yellow to creamy white, spatulate, 3–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm.

sepals ovate, 2–3 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple with fewer, 2-rayed ones);

petals bright yellow, obovate, 4–6 × 2–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.4–0.5 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending or ascending, straight or often curved upward (not expanded basally), (3–)5–17(–22) mm, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent, trichomes simple and stalked, 2–4-rayed.

ascending to divaricate-ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, 3–7(–9) mm, pubescent or glabrous, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed.
Fruits

elliptic to oblong or linear-lanceolate, plane (not curved), flattened, 5–11(14) × 2–3 mm;

valves usually glabrous, rarely margin pubescent, trichomes simple;

ovules 16–30 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.7 mm.

elliptic to lanceolate or ovate to suborbicular, plane, flattened, 4–8(–10) × 3–4.5 mm;

valves puberulent, trichomes simple with fewer 2-rayed ones, 0.1–0.35 mm;

ovules 12–16 per ovary;

style 0.5–0.9(–1.1) mm.
Seeds

oblong, 0.7–1.2(–1.5) × 0.4–0.7(–0.8) mm.

oblong, 1.5–2 × 1–1.3 mm.
2n

= 64.

= 72.

Draba juvenilis

Draba ruaxes
Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Rock outcrops, talus, gravelly beaches and stream banks, meadows, tundra Rock outcrops, talus slopes, ridges, alpine summits
Elevation 0-2700 m (0-8900 ft) 500-2400 m (1600-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East, n Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; WA; AB; BC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Although Draba kananaskis and D. longipes have often been treated as distinct species, we find no basis for maintaining them. Both exhibit variations in petal color (white to pale yellow) and leaf trichomes (short-stalked to sessile) characteristic of D. juvenilis from the Russian Far East. Perhaps most importantly, all three are octoploids (2n = 64) with x = 8. We conclude that D. kananaskis is nothing more than a minor variant of D. juvenilis and it is treated herein, for the first time, as a synonym of that species.

Draba juvenilis is occasionally confused with D. borealis, which also has stalked, cruciform trichomes with unbranched rays. Typical D. juvenilis is easily distinguished from that species by having narrower (2–3 mm) fruits that are glabrous (rarely pubescent) and untwisted, and 0–2 (or 3)-leaved stems. By contrast, D. borealis has wider (2.5–4.5 mm) fruits that are usually pubescent and/or twisted (rarely neither) and (2 or) 3–7(–12)-leaved stems.

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

C. L. Hitchcock (1941) treated Draba ruaxes as a variety of D. ventosa; as demonstrated by G. A. Mulligan (1971b), the two are quite distinct. Draba ruaxes is an outcrossing hexaploid with well-formed anthers and pollen, and abundant, simple trichomes on leaves, stems, sepals, and fruits. By contrast, D. ventosa is an apomictic triploid with abortive anthers and/or pollen, and no simple trichomes anywhere on the plant.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 314. FNA vol. 7, p. 334.
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. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, 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. 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. hirta var. tenella, D. kananaskis, D. longipes D. ventosa var. ruaxes
Name authority Komarov: Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 167. (1914) Payson & H. St. John: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 43: 117. (1930)
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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