Species: Draba cinerea var. cinerea M.F. Adams

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Draba cinerea var. cinerea M.F. Adams

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Brassicaceae

Genus:

Draba

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

ashy whitlow-grass
grayleaf whitlowgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon Territory - Northwest Territories - Labrador, south to British Columbia - northern Saskatchewan - northern Ontario - Ungava

Saskatchewan:

northern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca to Hasbala Lake

Ecoregion:

Tazin Lake Upland, Selwyn Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dry, granitic cliffs and outcrops

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Draba cinerea var. cinerea is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and most local populations are small. This species is likely frequently overlooked, especially when not flowering.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 25 cm

Roots:

taproot

Stems:

caudex simple to branched; stems perennial, erect or ascending, simple to branched, greenish to purplish, pubescence stellate

Leaves:

basal and cauline; basal leaves several in a loose rosette, 0.5 – 1 cm long, narrowly oblanceolate, ashy-gray, tomentum stellate, margin entire; cauline leaves usually less than 5, alternate, sessile, lanceolate to ovate, tomentum stellate, margin entire

Inflorescence:

raceme elongating and becoming lax in fruit; 5 – 16-flowered

Flowers:

6 – 10 mm across; calyx tetramerous; corolla tetramerous, cruciform, white

Fruits:

silique 7 – 10 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, broadly lanceolate, not twisted, greenish-gray, densely stellate pubescent; pedicels spreading-ascending, slightly longer to about equal to silique; seeds at most 36 in two rows, reddish brown

DRABA KEY IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers yellow; stems very leafy or pedicels 2 – 4 x as long as pod	2
1 Flowers white; stems with less than 10 leaves and pedicels various	3

2 Stem leaves usually more than 10; pedicels shorter than pod	D. aurea
2 Stem leaves 1 – 5; pedicels 2 – 4 x as long as pod	D. nemorosa

3 Stem leaves all or mostly opposite; inflorescence subumbellate in fruit	D. reptans
3 Stem leaves alternate; inflorescence racemose in fruit	4

4 Caudex absent; stem leaves on lower 1/3 of plant; pedicels 2 – 4 times as long as pod	D. nemorosa
4 Caudex present; stem leaves usually at least 1/2 way up stem; pedicels rarely 2 times as long as pod	5

5 Stem leaves less than 5; fruiting pedicels spreading-ascending; mature siliques broadly lanceolate, not twisted, with thick coat of minute hairs; seeds at most 36	D. cinerea var. cinerea
5 Stem leaves usually 5 – 8; fruiting pedicels strongly ascending; mature siliques narrowly lanceolate, twisted, with stellate hairs; seeds 20 - 48	D. breweri var. cana