Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba norvegica

Draba ruaxes

Norwegian Draba

coast mountain Draba, coast mountain whitlow-grass, coast mountain whitlow-grass Draba, Rainier Draba
Habit Perennials; (cespitose); caudex branched (sometimes with persistent leaf remains); often scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, forming tufts); caudex branched (with persistent leaf bases, branches some terminating in sterile rosettes); 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, 0.2–0.6(–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

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;

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

0–3(–5);

sessile;

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

0.
Racemes

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

rachis slightly or not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

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

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem or 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 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

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

(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 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, 0.9–1.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm.

oblong, 1.5–2 × 1–1.3 mm.
2n

= 48.

= 72.

Draba norvegica

Draba ruaxes
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Rock outcrops and sea cliffs, talus, gravelly and sandy terraces, moist bluffs, turfy limestone shores Rock outcrops, talus slopes, ridges, alpine summits
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 500-2400 m (1600-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NL; NS; NT; QC; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway, n Russia, Scotland, Sweden); Atlantic Islands (Iceland)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; WA; AB; BC; YT
[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.)

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. 322. 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. 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. 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. clivicola, D. hirta var. norvegica, D. norvegica var. clivicola, D. norvegica var. hebecarpa, D. rupestris, D. scandinavica var. hebecarpa, D. trichella D. ventosa var. ruaxes
Name authority Gunnerus: Fl. Norveg. 2: 106. (1772) 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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