Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba norvegica

Draba fladnizensis

Norwegian Draba

arctic Draba, Austrian Draba, Austrian whitlow-grass
Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (sometimes with persistent leaf remains); often scapose. Perennials; (sometimes cespitose); caudex simple or branched (with persistent leaf bases); usually scapose.
Stems

branched or unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–1.4(–2) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed, 0.2–0.5 mm.

unbranched, (0.2–)0.3–1(–1.3) dm, glabrous.
Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiolate;

petiole (0–0.5 cm), ciliate throughout;

blade oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or narrowly lanceolate, 0.4–2.1 cm × 1.5–7 mm, margins with 1–3 teeth on each side, (ciliate, trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.2–0.8 mm), surfaces pubescent abaxially with stalked, (2–)4(–6)-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.4 mm, adaxially glabrous or pubescent, with simple and stalked, 2-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm.

rosulate;

petiole (obscure), margin ciliate, (trichomes simple or 2-rayed, 0.25–0.6 mm);

blade linear to oblanceolate or narrowly obovate, (0.3–)0.4–1.2(–1.6) cm × 1–3(–4) mm, margins usually entire, rarely toothed, surfaces abaxially pubescent or glabrous, trichomes simple, sometimes with fewer, short-stalked, 2-rayed ones, (midvein prominent), adaxially often glabrous.
Cauline leaves

0–3(–5);

sessile;

blade ovate to oblong, margins often dentate, (ciliate).

0–2;

sessile;

blade oblong to ovate, margins entire, (ciliate).
Racemes

5–23-flowered, ebracteate or proximalmost 1(–3) flowers bracteate, considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis slightly or not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

(2 or) 3–11(–14)-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous.
Flowers

sepals ovate, 1.7–2.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed);

petals white, spatulate, 2.5–4 × 1.7–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

sepals (green or purplish), ovate, 1.2–2.2 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals white, spatulate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.25 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

suberect to ascending (often appressed to rachis), straight, (1.5–)2.5–5(–9) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple and 2–4-rayed.

divaricate-ascending, often straight, (1–)2–5(–6) mm, glabrous.
Fruits

(sometimes subappressed to rachis), oblong to lanceolate-elliptic, plane, flattened, 4–8 × 2–3 mm;

valves glabrous or pubescent, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed, 0.05–0.25 mm;

ovules 18–26 per ovary;

style (0.01–)0.1–0.4(–0.5) mm, (glabrous, stigma about as wide as style).

elliptic-lanceolate to oblong, plane, flattened, 3–8(–9) × 1.5–2 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 12–24 per ovary;

style 0.05–0.2(–0.3) mm.
Seeds

oblong, 0.9–1.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm.

oblong to elliptic, 0.8–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.
2n

= 48.

= 16.

Draba norvegica

Draba fladnizensis
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops and sea cliffs, talus, gravelly and sandy terraces, moist bluffs, turfy limestone shores Rock outcrops and talus, alpine meadows, sandy gravel
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 0-1400 m at higher latitudes, 3000-3800 m at lower latitudes (0-4600 ft at higher latitudes, 9800-12500 ft at lower latitudes)
Distribution
from FNA
NL; NS; NT; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, n Russia, Scotland, Sweden); Atlantic Islands (Iceland)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; UT; WY; BC; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; c Europe; s Europe; Asia; circumpolar and high alpine areas
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba norvegica is a highly variable hexaploid taxon and, as delimited herein, it probably represents two taxa with the same distribution and same chromosome number. It is related to hexaploid D. arctogena, from which it is distinguished by characteristics listed under 8. D. arctogena.

Draba norvegica was divided by O. E. Schulz (1927) into eight varieties, whereas R. C. Rollins (1993) recognized just two. In the latter treatment, var. clivicola is distinguished by having predominantly branched, appressed trichomes on stems proximally, lanceolate, glabrous fruits, and slender, erect-appressed pedicels. By contrast, var. norvegica is said to have predominantly simple, spreading trichomes on stems proximally, narrowly ovate to elliptical, glabrous or pubescent fruits, and stout, divaricately ascending pedicels. These differences are extremes of a continuum, and we agree with G. A. Mulligan (1970) in reducing D. clivicola to synonymy of D. norvegica. Rollins indicated that D. norvegica grows in Minnesota, but we have not seen any material from that state.

Draba norvegica is found in Europe in arctic and subarctic areas.

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

Rollins reduced Draba pattersonii to a variety of D. fladnizensis and separated the two primarily on plant size and minor differences in fruit shape. Examination of D. fladnizensis specimens collected throughout Europe and North America reveals that the alleged differences between the two taxa are artificial. The type material of D. pattersonii, which was collected in Colorado, is a mixture of plants highly variable in their type of indumentum. The specimens have no flowers, but the habit, fruits, and leaves are nearly indistinguishable from those of D. fladnizensis from higher latitudes.

In the absence of flowers, the white-flowered Draba fladnizensis (2n = 16) is often confused with the yellow-flowered D. crassifolia (2n = 40). The latter is an annual or short-lived perennial that rarely forms a well-developed caudex, whereas D. fladnizensis almost always produces a distinct caudex. Although most individuals of both species are scapose, they occasionally produce one or two cauline leaves. The cauline leaves are usually glabrous in D. crassifolia and ciliate in D. fladnizensis; in the latter, the distalmost cauline leaf usually subtends the proximalmost flower. Finally, the seeds in D. fladnizensis are slightly larger (0.8–0.1 × 0.5–0.6 versus 0.7–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm) than those of D. crassifolia, though the reliability of this distinction needs to be examined in greater detail. N. H. Holmgren (2005b) reported D. fladnizensis from central Nevada, but we have not seen any material of the species from that state.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 322. FNA vol. 7, p. 307.
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. 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. 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. 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. clivicola, D. hirta var. norvegica, D. norvegica var. clivicola, D. norvegica var. hebecarpa, D. rupestris, D. scandinavica var. hebecarpa, D. trichella D. fladnizensis var. pattersonii, D. pattersonii, D. pattersonii var. hirticaulis, D. wahlenbergii
Name authority Gunnerus: Fl. Norveg. 2: 106. (1772) Wulfen: in N. J. Jacquin, Misc. Austriac. 1: 147, plate 17, fig. 1. (1778)
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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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