Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba juvenilis

Draba verna

long-stalk Draba, long-stalk whitlow-grass

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; (not pulvinate); caudex branched (branches slightly loose, with persistent leaf remains, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); often scapose. Annuals; 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.

(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

(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;

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

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.

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

rachis usually flexuous, 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 (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

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.

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

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

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

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

= 64.

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

Draba juvenilis

Draba verna
Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat Rock outcrops, talus, gravelly beaches and stream banks, meadows, tundra Cedar glades, lawns, fields, pastures, waste places, grassy hillsides, disturbed sites, roadsides
Elevation 0-2700 m (0-8900 ft) 0-2500 m (0-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East, n Siberia)
[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

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.)

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. 314. 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. 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. 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. hirta var. tenella, D. kananaskis, D. longipes 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 Komarov: Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 167. (1914) 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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