Draba crassifolia
Rocky Mountain draba, thick-leaved draba, snowbed whitlow-grass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in the Olympic Mountains and North Cascades in Washington; Alaska to Washington, Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains; east across northern Canada to Greenland; northern Europe.

Habitat: Subalpine and alpine meadows, often in rock crevices and outcroppings.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Self-pollination, bees, flies

Description:
General:

Annuals or short-lived perennials, branched at base, usually bearing scapes; stems generally 0.3-1.1 dm, unbranched or uncommonly branched distally, glabrous throughout or rarely pubescent PROXIMALLY; trichomes simple, 0.3-0.7 mm.

Leaves:

Basal leaves form rosettes, petioles ciliate, blades oblanceolate or obovate, 0.5-2.5 cm long and 2-4 mm broad, margins entire or rarely finely toothed, occasionally ciliate, glabrous above and beneath or sparsely pubescent, with simple trichomes and 2-rayed trichomes less than 1 mm; cauline leaves usually absent, sometimes 1, sessile, ovate or oblong, margins entire, glabrous above and beneath.

Flowers:

Inflorescence racemose, generally 4-15 flowered, no bracts, elongated in fruit; rachis somewhat flexuous or straight, glabrous; pedicels spreading horizontally, generally straight, 3-8 mm and slightly shorter than fruit, glabrous; sepals 4, green or light purple, ovate, 1.5-2.5 mm long and 0.5-1 mm broad, glabrous; petals 4, yellow, turning white with age, oblanceolate, usually 1.5-2.5 mm long and 0.5-1 mm broad; anthers 0.15-0.25 mm, ovate.

Fruits:

Siliques 5-10 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm broad, generally lanceolate, plane, flattened; valves glabrous; ovaries generally contain 16-24 ovules; seeds elliptic, 0.7-0.8 mm long and 0.4-0.5 mm broad.

Accepted Name:
Draba crassifolia Graham
Publication: Edinburgh New Philos. J. 7: 182. 1829.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Draba crassifolia Graham var. parryi (Rydb.) O.E. Schulz
Draba parryi Rydb.
Additional Resources:

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

WA Flora Checklist: Draba crassifolia checklist entry

OregonFlora: Draba crassifolia information

E-Flora BC: Draba crassifolia atlas page

CalPhotos: Draba crassifolia photos

4 photographs:
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