Species: Draba reptans (Lam.) Fern.

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Draba reptans (Lam.) Fern.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Brassicaceae

Genus:

Draba

Species Synonyms:

Draba reptans var. micrantha (Nutt.) Fern.
Draba reptans var. stellifera (O.E. Schulz) C.L. Hitchc.
Draba reptans var. typical C.L. Hitchc.
Draba reptans ssp. stellifera (O.E. Schulz) Abrams
Draba micrantha Nutt.
Draba caroliniana Walt.

Common Names:

creeping draba
white whitlow-grass
creeping whitlow-grass
Carolina draba
Carolina whitlow-grass
Carolina whitlowgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern Alberta - southern Saskatchewan - southern Manitoba, southern Ontario

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan Landing - Souris River Valley

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

silty or sandy grassland slopes and flats

Associated species:

blue grama grass, flatspine stickseed, long leaf plantago, plains pricklypear, prairie onion, woodland draba, woolly plantain

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Creeping draba is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is limited to one general region of the province and most local populations are small.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

to 15 cm

Roots:

taproot slender

Stems:

annual, solitary to several, erect, simple to branched, slender, < 1 mm wide, short hairy below, glabrous above

Leaves:

basal and on the stem; basal leaves relatively few, 4 – 15 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, spoon-shaped to ovate, hairs forked and three-lobed, margins hairy; stem leaves 1 – 4, near base of stem, opposite, 3 – 6 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, hairs star-shaped and forking, margin entire

Inflorescence:

terminal, subumbellate, 5 – 10-flowered; central axis and stalks hairless; flowers of two types, flowers with and without petals

Flowers:

sepals 1.5 – 2.5 mm long, hairs simple; petals white; style very short

Fruits:

pod 5 – 15 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, slightly curved, hairless or hairy

DRABA KEY IN SASKATCHEWAN

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

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

3 Stem leaves all or mostly opposite; inflorescence umbrella-like in fruit	D. reptans
3 Stem leaves alternate; inflorescence elongate in fruit	4

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

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