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Charleston Mountain Draba

snow Draba, snow whitlow-grass, yellow arctic Draba

Habit Perennials; caudex simple or branched (not fleshy, usually with some persistent leaf remains); sometimes scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, usually forming mats); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaf bases); usually scapose.
Stems

unbranched, (0.1–)0.3–0.9 dm, glabrous throughout or sparsely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple and 2–6-rayed, 0.1–0.5 mm.

unbranched, 0.2–0.8(–1.2) dm, pubescent throughout, trichomes minutely stalked, 8–15-rayed, stellate, (non-crisped), 0.03–0.15 mm.

Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiolate;

petiole (0–0.5 cm), ciliate throughout;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.4–1.7(–2.3) cm × 1.6–4(–6) mm, margins usually entire, rarely denticulate, (sparsely ciliate, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.8 mm), surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, (2–)4(–6)-rayed trichomes, (0.05–)0.1–0.6 mm, adaxially with simple and fewer, stalked, 2–4-rayed ones.

rosulate;

petiole (obsolete), ciliate throughout;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.2–0.9(–1.5) cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire, (not ciliate), surfaces usually pubescent, rarely glabrescent, with short-stalked, 8–15-rayed, stellate, (non-crisped) trichomes, 0.05–0.15 mm.

Cauline leaves

0 or 1;

sessile;

blade ovate to lanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

0 or 1;

sessile;

blade ovate or oblong, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

Racemes

(2–)4–9(–12)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis slightly flexuous, glabrous.

3–9(–11)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis often slightly flexuous, pubescent as stem.

Flowers

sepals ovate, 1.2–1.7 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2- or 3-rayed);

petals yellowish (quickly fading white), spatulate, 1.8–2.2 × 0.6–1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.25–0.3 mm.

sepals ovate, 1.5–2 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–5-rayed);

petals white, spatulate to oblanceolate, 2–3.5 × 0.8–1.4 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, straight, 2–5(–8) mm, glabrous.

usually ascending, rarely divaricate, straight, 1–4.5(–8) mm, pubescent as stem.

Fruits

elliptic to linear lanceolate, plane, flattened, 5–10(–12) × 1.7–2(–2.5) mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 20–30 per ovary;

style 0.08–0.2 mm.

elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic, twisted or not, flattened, 3.5–9 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

valves usually glabrous, rarely with 3–6-rayed trichomes on replum;

ovules 12–24(–28) per ovary;

style 0.1–0.4 mm.

Seeds

oblong, 0.9–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 mm.

ovoid, 0.6–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.

2n

= 40.

= 16.

Draba paucifructa

Draba nivalis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Moist, shaded slopes among limestone and dolomite rocks Rock outcrops and fellfields, meadows, open tundra, stream banks, gravelly beaches, roadsides
Elevation 2600-3500 m (8500-11500 ft) 0-2500 m (0-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NV
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; MB; NF; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe (Finland, Norway [including Svalbard], n, w Sweden); e Asia (Russian Far East, n Siberia); Atlantic Islands (Iceland); circumpolar
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Draba paucifructa is known from the Charleston Mountains in Clark County. M. D. Windham (2004) suggested that it is an allopolyploid resulting from hybridization between D. albertina and D. lonchocarpa, and he discussed the morphological features that distinguish this species from its putative parents.

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

Draba nivalis is most often confused with D. lonchocarpa, and C. L. Hitchcock (1941) reduced the latter to a variety (var. elongata) of D. nivalis. A critical comparison reveals that there are enough differences to warrant their recognition as distinct species. Draba nivalis is distinguished by having non-ciliate leaf bases, basal leaf blades pubescent with trichomes 0.05–0.15 mm, stems and pedicels that are always pubescent, and fruits that are elliptic to narrowly elliptic-oblong, plane, and 3.5–9 mm. By contrast, D. lonchocarpa has ciliate leaf bases, basal leaf blades pubescent with trichomes 0.15–0.5 mm, stems and pedicels that are glabrous or sparsely pubescent, and fruits that are linear to lanceolate or oblong, slightly twisted or plane, and 6–15(–18) mm. Except for Alaska, D. nivalis does not grow in the continental United States, whereas D. lonchocarpa grows in nearly all Mountain and Pacific states.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 327. FNA vol. 7, p. 322.
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. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, 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. 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. caesia
Name authority Clokey & C. L. Hitchcock: Madroño 5: 127. (1939) Liljeblad: Utkast Sv. Fl., 236. (1792)
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