Draba albertina
Alaska draba, slender whitlow-grass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat: Montane forest openings to alpine meadows.

Flowers: May-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Self-pollination, bees, flies

Description:
General:

Annuals, biennials, or perennials; base unbranched or with poorly developed branching, uncommonly scapose; stems generally 0.5-3 dm, branched towards ends, pubescent near base, usually distally glabrous, with simple trichomes and occasionally some 2-rayed trichomes on stalks.

Leaves:

Basal leaves form rosettes; petioles short, up to 0.5 cm, ciliate; blade typically somewhat lanceolate, approximately 1-2.8 cm long and 2-6 mm broad; margins entire or finely toothed, ciliate with simple trichomes; usually pubescent above and beneath, rarely glabrous beneath, upper surface with stalked trichomes with 2-4 rays and uncommonly with simple trichomes along midvein, lower surface with simple trichomes and sometimes 2-rayed trichomes; cauline leaves generally 1-3, lanceolate to ovate, margins entire or finely toothed, pubescence same as basal leaves.

Flowers:

Inflorescence racemose, usually 6-30 flowered, without bracts, becoming elongated when in fruit; rachis straight, generally rigid, glabrous; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending or horizontal, usually not curved, slightly shorter than fruit, commonly glabrous; sepals 4, ovate, 1.4-2.1 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent with simple trichomes; petals 4, yellow, narrower at base, 2-3.2 mm long and 0.7-1.2 mm broad; anthers less than 0.25 mm, ovate.

Fruit:

Siliques lanceolate to linear, plane, flat, 6-12 mm long and 1.4-2.1 mm broad, valves not pubescent; ovaries generally containing 24-38 ovules; seeds oblong, 0.7-1 mm long and about half as wide.

Accepted Name:
Draba albertina Greene
Publication: Pittonia. 4: 312. 1901.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Draba crassifolia Graham var. albertina (Greene) O.E. Schulz
Draba crassifolia Graham var. nevadensis C.L. Hitchc.
Draba stenoloba Ledeb. var. nana (O.E. Schulz) C.L. Hitchc. [HC]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Draba albertina in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Draba albertina checklist entry

OregonFlora: Draba albertina information

E-Flora BC: Draba albertina atlas page

CalPhotos: Draba albertina photos

6 photographs:
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