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Alaska Draba, Alaska whitlow-grass

Santa Rita Mountain Draba, Santa Rita Mountain whitlowgrass, Santa Rita whitlow grass

Habit Biennials or perennials; (short-lived, not cespitose); caudex simple (not fleshy); scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, long-lived); caudex simple or branched (covered with persistent petioles), not scapose.
Stems

often unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–3(–3.4) dm, pubescent proximally, usually glabrous distally, rarely sparsely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–4-rayed, 0.1–0.4(–0.5) mm.

usually unbranched, rarely branched, 0.3–1.9(–2.8) dm, moderately to densely hirsute throughout, trichomes simple, 0.2–1.3 mm, with short-stalked to subsessile, cruciform, 0.02–0.4 mm, and 2-rayed ones, 0.3–0.9 mm.

Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiole (obscure), margin ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.2–0.4 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 0.4–2.6(–3.1) cm × 1.5–7(–10) mm, margins entire or denticulate, (ciliate as petiole), surfaces pubescent, abaxially with short-stalked, 3- or 4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm, adaxially with simple and stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.5 mm.

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.4–1.5 mm);

blade oblanceolate, 1–5(–6) cm × 2–5(–10) mm, margins usually entire, rarely denticulate, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with stalked, cruciform trichomes, 0.07–0.5 mm, adaxially often similar, sometimes with fewer, simple and 2-rayed trichomes, 0.4–1.3 mm.

Cauline leaves

(0 or) 1 or 2 (3 or 4);

sessile;

blade elliptic to lanceolate or ovate, margins toothed, surfaces pubescent, abaxially with short-stalked 3- or 4-rayed trichomes, adaxially with simple and short-stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes.

3–10;

sessile;

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

Racemes

(2–)4–10(–15)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent.

10–37(–58)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, pubescent as stem.

Flowers

(chasmogamous, petaliferous);

sepals (green or purplish), oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.6–1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.25–0.4 mm.

sepals oblong, 2–3.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and 2-rayed);

petals yellow, oblanceolate, 3.5–6 × 1.2–1.8 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.8–1 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

horizontal to divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–14(–19) mm (subequaling or shorter than fruit), usually glabrous, rarely pubescent, trichomes 2–4-rayed.

divaricate-ascending, straight, 4–10 mm, pubescent throughout, trichomes simple (0.1–0.5 mm) and subsessile, 2–4-rayed, (0.03–0.2 mm).

Fruits

linear or, rarely, linear-elliptic, plane, flattened, (8–)10–17(–20) × 1.5–2 mm;

valves usually glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent, trichomes simple;

ovules 24–36 per ovary;

style 0.01–0.15 mm.

lanceolate to elliptic, often strongly twisted, flattened, 5–11 × 2–3 mm;

valves puberulent at least along margin, trichomes simple, antrorse, 0.03–0.15 mm;

ovules 14–24 per ovary;

style 0.8–1.8(–2.5) mm.

Seeds

ovoid, 0.9–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.

ovoid, 1–1.4 × 0.6–0.9 mm.

2n

= 40.

Draba stenoloba

Draba petrophila

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Grassy knolls, glacial moraines and creek banks, mesic meadows, alpine thickets Crevices, ledges of cliffs
Elevation 600-2300 m (2000-7500 ft) 1200-2800 m (3900-9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Draba stenoloba is occasionally confused with D. albertina, but is easily recognized by having exclusively 2–4-rayed (versus mostly simple) trichomes on stems proximally. It is rarely encountered and apparently confined to the Pacific Northwest. In contrast, D. albertina is common and widespread in the mountains of western North America.

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

Draba petrophila is often broadly circumscribed to include the taxon herein called D. viridis. For a discussion of the differences between these species and the closely related D. helleriana, see I. A. Al-Shehbaz and M. D. Windham (2007). Draba petrophila, in the strict sense, is known only from Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties in southeastern Arizona.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 340. FNA vol. 7, p. 329.
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. 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. 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. 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. acinacis, D. hirta var. siliquosa, D. macouniana, D. nemorosa var. stenoloba, D. nitida var. praelonga, D. oligantha, D. stenoloba var. oligantha D. helleriana var. blumeri, D. helleriana var. petrophila
Name authority Ledebour: Fl. Ross. 1: 154. (1841) Greene: Pittonia 4: 17. (1899)
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