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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE MUSTARD FAMILY | |||||||||
| The mustard family can easily be identified by the fruit types. In this family the fruit types are the silicle and the silique. Both fruit types split open along two lines and have a membranous partition in the center to which the seeds attach. The silicle is long and thin, while the silicle is short and wide. The mustard family can also be identified by the flowers. The flowers have four separate sepals and four clawed petals arranged in a cross shape. There are four long stamens and two short stamens. | |||||||||
| The mustard family is well known in Saskatchewan. Many people farm canola as a crop. Also, many vegetables we consume in North America come from this family including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts. | |||||||||
| ASHY WHITLOW-GRASS | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Draba cinerea var. cinerea | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Ashy whitlow-grass grows as tall as 25 cm from a woody base and taproot. The stems are simple or branched and are covered in star-shaped hairs. The basal leaves are ashy gray and covered also covered in star-shaped hairs. The stem leaves are usually fewer than five. There are 5 to 16 white flowers in unbranched, elongated clusters. The siliques are 7 – 10 mm long and are covered in star-shaped hairs. The fruit stalks are spreading to ascending. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Ashy whitlow-grass grows on dry, granitic cliffs and outcrops | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northern Saskatchewan, between Lake Athabasca and Hasbala Lake, and occurs in the Tazin Lake Upland and Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Ashy whitlow-grass 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. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY ASHY WHITLOW-GRASS | |||||||||
| * Are the flowers white? * Are there four petals in a cross shape? * Is the whole plant covered in star-shaped hairs? * Did you find it in northern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found ashy whitlow-grass | |||||||||
