Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba novolympica

Draba crassifolia

Mt. Olympic Draba, Olympic Draba, Olympic Mountains Draba, Payson's Draba, Payson's whitlow-grass, Trelease's Draba, Trelease's whitlow-grass

Rocky Mountain Draba, Rocky Mountain whitlow-grass, snowbed Draba, snowbed whitlow-grass, thick-leaf Draba
Habit Perennials; (cespitose, densely pulvinate); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaves, branches creeping, sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose. Annuals or perennials; (short-lived); caudex branched (when present); usually scapose.
Stems

unbranched, 0.05–0.4 dm, densely pubescent throughout, trichomes simple, 0.4–0.8 mm, and stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.1–0.5 mm.

unbranched or, rarely, branched distally, (0.1–)0.3–1.1(–1.5) dm, usually glabrous throughout, rarely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.7 mm.
Basal leaves

(densely imbricate); rosulate;

sessile;

blade oblong to linear-oblanceolate, 0.2–0.8 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes simple and spurred, 0.3–1.2 mm), surfaces densely pubescent, abaxially with stalked, 2–12-rayed stellate trichomes, 0.1–0.6 mm, adaxially with simple and 2-rayed ones, 0.3–0.8 mm.

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole ciliate throughout;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, (0.2–) 0.5–2.5(–3) cm × (1–)2–4(–6) mm, margins usually entire, rarely denticulate, (sometimes ciliate), surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with simple and 2-rayed trichomes, 0.3–0.9 mm.
Cauline leaves

0.

usually 0, rarely 1;

sessile;

blade oblong to ovate, margins entire, surfaces glabrous.
Racemes

2–12-flowered, ebracteate, slightly elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

(2–)4–15(–25)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis slightly flexuous or straight, glabrous.
Flowers

sepals oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed);

petals bright yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

(chasmogamous, petaliferous);

sepals (green or purplish), ovate, 1–2 mm, glabrous;

petals yellow (often fading white), oblanceolate, 1.5–2.5(–3) × 0.5–1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.15–0.25 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, straight, 1–5 mm, pubescent, trichomes simple (0.3–0.9 mm) and stalked, 2–5-rayed (0.1–0.5 mm).

horizontal to divaricate-ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 3–8(–10) mm (subequaling or shorter than fruit), glabrous.
Fruits

often ovoid, plane, slightly inflated basally (symmetric), (2.5–)3–4(–5) × 1.5–3.5 mm;

valves densely pubescent, trichomes 2–6-rayed, 0.05–0.4 mm, occasionally some simple;

ovules 4–8(–12) per ovary;

style 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm.

usually narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, plane, flattened, (3–)5–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (8–)16–24(–30) per ovary;

style 0.02–0.1 mm.
Seeds

oblong, 1.2–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm.

elliptic, 0.7–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm.
2n

= 42.

= 40.

Draba novolympica

Draba crassifolia
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Alpine crests, open knolls, fellfields, talus, weathered shale, calcareous shale scree, rocky grounds and cliffs, subalpine conifer forests Rock outcrops and talus, subalpine meadows, alpine summits and tundra, bare snow-melt areas
Elevation 1500-3700 m (4900-12100 ft) (50-)1000-4300 m ((200-)3300-14100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe (Norway, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba novolympica is the same taxon that C. L. Hitchcock (1941) and R. C. Rollins (1993) called D. paysonii var. treleasei, and G. A. Mulligan (2002) called D. paysonii. The two are amply distinct and should be recognized as separate species. Draba novolympica is easily distinguished from D. paysonii by having fruit valves pubescent with 2–6-rayed (occasionally some simple) trichomes 0.05–0.4 mm, sepals 1.5–2.5 mm, petals 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–2 mm, fruits (2.5–)3–4(–5) × 1.5–3.5 mm, styles 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm, and ovules 1.2–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm. By contrast, D. paysonii has fruit valves pubescent with simple and 2-rayed (some 4- or 5-rayed) trichomes (0.2–)0.4–1 mm, sepals 2.8–3.5 mm, petals (4–)5–6 × (1.5–)2–3 mm, fruits (5–)6–9 × (3–)3.5–5 mm, styles (0.6–)0.8–1.2 mm, and ovules 1.7–2.2 × 1–1.4 mm.

Both R. C. Rollins (1993) and N. H. Holmgren (2005b) indicated that Draba novolympica (as D. paysonii var. treleasei) occurs in Alaska and Yukon, but we have not seen any material from there, and it is likely that their records were based on misidentified plants. Previous reports of D. paysonii from Canada (e.g., G. A. Mulligan 1971b) pertain instead to D. novolympica.

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

M. D. Windham (2004) presented morphological and chromosomal data suggesting that Draba crassifolia is an allopolyploid produced by hybridization between D. albertina and D. fladnizensis. Although the species is distinctive in large part, some individuals can be difficult to place and there is evidence of rare backcrossing (Windham, unpubl.). The attribution to Arizona is based on Schaack 345 (US) and Kearney & Peebles 12156 (US), both collected on the San Francisco Peaks in Coconino County. Draba crassifolia is found at elevations as low as 50 m in Greenland and the islands of Nunavut.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 323. FNA vol. 7, p. 302.
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. norvegica, 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. 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. barbata var. treleasei, D. paysonii var. treleasei D. crassifolia var. parryi, D. parryi
Name authority Payson & H. St. John: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 43: 113. (1930) Graham: Edinburgh New Philos. J. 7: 182. (1829)
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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