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 to Souris River Valley

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

silty or sandy grassland slopes and flats

Associated species:

Allium textile, Bouteloua gracilis, Draba nemorosa, Lappula occidentalis, Opuntia polyacantha, Plantago elongata, Plantago patagonica

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Draba reptans 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, hispid below, glabrous above

Leaves:

basal and cauline; basal leaves relatively few, 4 – 15 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, spatulate to ovate, pubescence bifid and trifid, margin ciliate; cauline leaves 1 – 4, near base of stem, opposite, 3 – 6 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, pubescence stellate and forking, margin entire

Inflorescence:

terminal, subumbellate, 5 – 10-flowered; rachis and pedicels glabrous; flowers dimorphic with smaller, apetalous flowers and flowers with petals

Flowers:

calyx 1.5 – 2.5 mm long, hairs simple; corolla white; style very short

Fruits:

silique 5 – 15 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, slightly curved, glabrous or hispid

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