Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to Alberta.
Habitat: Rock crevices and slopes at or above timberline.
Flowers: July-August
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Tuft forming annuals, base branched, occasionally ending with sterile rosettes, bearing scapes; stems 0.2-0.6 dm, unbranched, usually fully pubescent, sometimes becoming distally glabrous distally,with simple trichomes and 2-4-rayed trichomes.
Basal leaves forming rosettes, nearly sessile, petioles ciliate at base and margins with simple trichomes, blades oblanceolate to obovate or nearly round, 0.3-1 cm long and 2-4.5 mm broad, margins entire, pubescent above and beneath; upper surface trichomes stalked, stellate, 2-10-rayed, 0.2-0.8 mm; lower surface trichomes simple, to 0.4-1 mm, occasionally with minute 2-4-rayed trichomes; cauline leaves absent.
Inflorescence racemose, usually 4-10 flowered, ebracteate, some elongation in fruit; rachis rigid, same pubescence as stem, sometimes glabrous; fruiting pedicels generally ascending, straight or somewhat curved, 3-7 mm, pubescence present or absent, with simple trichomes and 2-4-rayed ones; sepals 4, ovate, 2-3 mm, pubescent with simple trichomes and some 2-rayed ones; petals 4, yellow, obovate, 4-6 mm long and 2-3.5 mm broad; anthers 0.4-0.5 mm, oblong.
Siliques 4-8 mm long and 3-4.5 mm broad, generally narrowly ovate to nearly round, plane, flattened; valves pubescent with simple trichomes and some 2-rayed trichomes; ovaries containing 12-16 ovules; seeds oblong, 1.5-2 mm long and 1-1.3 mm broad.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Draba ruaxes in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Draba ruaxes checklist entry
OregonFlora: Draba ruaxes information
E-Flora BC: Draba ruaxes atlas page
CalPhotos: Draba ruaxes photos