Index
Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader.

Draba Sp. - Draba

Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard) [E-flora]

"Annual to perennial herb, generally cushion- or mat-forming, occasionally scapose, hairs simple, forked, or many-branched. Leaf: basal generally rosetted; cauline entire or shallowly toothed, base generally not lobed, occasionally 0. Inflorescence: generally many-flowered, elongated or not; bracts generally 0. Flower: sepals bases equal; petals generally short-clawed, yellow or white (lavender or red). Fruit: silique or silicle, dehiscent, linear to lanceolate or ovate, occasionally ovoid or spheric, cylindric or flat parallel to septum, unsegmented; stigma entire. Seed: in 2 rows; wing generally 0.
370+ species: northern hemisphere, South America mountains. (Greek: acrid, describing taste of crucifer leaves)" [Jepson]

Local Species;

  1. Draba albertina - slender draba [E-flora]
  2. Draba aurea - golden draba [E-flora]
  3. Draba cana - Lance-leaved draba [E-flora]
  4. Draba hyperborea - North Pacific draba [E-flora]
  5. Draba incerta - Yellowstone draba [E-flora]
  6. Draba lonchocarpa - lance-fruited draba [E-flora]
  7. Draba nemorosa - woods draba [E-flora]
  8. Draba nivalis - snow draba [E-flora]
  9. Draba stenoloba - Alaska draba [E-flora]
  10. Draba verna- common draba [E-flora]

References


Draba albertina - slender draba

"General: Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a taproot and a simple stem-base; stems one to several, 4-30 cm long, often branched from the leaf axils, basal hairs coarse, mainly simple hairs, some 2-branched." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry forest openings and meadows from the montane to alpine zones; infrequent in SC and SE BC, rare northward to NW BC (Atlin) and westward to central Vancouver Island; N to YT and NT, E to SK and S to CO and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Synonyms

References


Draba aurea - golden draba

"General: Perennial herb from a taproot; stems simple or branched, erect or decumbent at base, 10-50 cm tall, hairs long and simple or often branched." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry forest openings, meadows, rocky slopes and talus slopes from the montane to alpine zones; frequent throughout BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and S to N WA, ID, MT, NM and AZ." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Synonyms

References


Draba cana - Lance-leaved draba

"General: Loosely tufted perennial herb from a taproot and a simple or branched stem-base; stems branched, erect or decumbent at base, 5-25 cm tall, densely hairy with simple and starlike hairs." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry meadows, cliffs, rocky slopes and river terraces in the subalpine and alpine zones; frequent in N BC, less frequent southward E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and S to CO, VT and NV; Eurasia, Greenland." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

References


Draba hyperborea - North Pacific draba

"General: Tufted perennial herb from a thick taproot and a stem-base with persistent peglike leaf bases, sometimes elongated and rhizomatous; stems erect, 2-8 cm tall, glabrous." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Moist to mesic, often nitrified, rocky coastal cliffs, bluffs and beaches in the lowland zone; locally frequent from N Vancouver Island northward in coastal BC; amphiberingian, N to AK; E Asia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Synonyms

References


Draba incerta - Yellowstone draba

"General: Tufted perennial herb from a taproot and a usually much branched stem-base; stems erect, 2-20 cm tall, starlike-hairy." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Dry meadows, cliffs, fellfields and scree slopes in the upper montane, subalpine, and alpine zones; common throughout BC E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to AK and YT, E to AB and S to WA, ID, MT and WY, disjunct in PQ." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

References


Draba lonchocarpa - lance-fruited draba

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

"General: Tufted perennial herb from a taproot; stems tufted, 1-12 cm tall, glabrous to finely feltlike and woolly with starlike hairs." [IFBC-E-flora]

Notes: Three varieties occur in BC.

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry meadows, cliffs and scree slopes in the subalpine and alpine zones; var. lonchocarpa - common throughout BC E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, var. thompsonii - rare in and E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains south of 57degreeN, var. vestita - rare in coastal and west-central BC; var. lonchocarpa - N to AK, YT and NT, E to AB, and S to OR, MT and WY, var. thompsonii - S to N WA and var. vestita - N to SC AK." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

References


Draba nemorosa - woods draba

"General: Annual herb from slender taproot; stems simple or branched, 5-25 (35) cm tall, hairy with both branched and starlike hairs, sometimes with some simple hairs or nearly glabrous." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Moist to dry open forests, grasslands and shrublands in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC, rare northward; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and S to CO and N CA; Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Woods Draba – D. nemorosa [218]

Part: Leaves Per 100 g dry weight
Food Energy (Kcal) - Ash (g) 14.4 Potassium (mg) 1780
Water (g) - Thiamine (mg) - Magnesium (mg) -
Protein (g) 15.8 Riboflavin (mg) - Calcium (mg) 3310
Fat (g) 2.1 Niacin (mg) - Phosphorus (mg) 330
Carbohydrate (g) 67.7 Vitamin C (mg) - Sodium (mg) -
Fiber (g) 17.6 Vitamin A (RE) - Iron (mg) -
Zinc (mg) - Manganese (mg) - Copper (mg) -

Notes: "It is assumed that this analysis is for the leaves on a zero moisture basis, though the report was a bit vague." [PFAF]

Cultivation & Propagation

"We have no details for this species, though judging by its native range it should be hardy in most parts of Britain. It is likely to prefer a sunny position in a well-drained soil[K]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring in situ." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References


Draba nivalis - snow draba

"General: Tufted perennial herb from a taproot; stems branched, 3-12 (20) cm tall, starlike-hairy." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry meadows, rocky slopes and scree slopes in the subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent throughout BC; N to AK, YT and NT and E to NF." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Synonyms

References


Draba stenoloba - Alaska draba

"General: Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a slender taproot and a usually simple stem-base; stems simple or branched, 3-32 cm tall, hairy below mainly with crosslike hairs, commonly glabrous above." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Moist to dry meadows and cliffs in the subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent throughout BC; N to AK, YT, W NT and E to SW AB." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

References


Draba verna- common draba

"General: Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems leafless, 5-20 (25) cm tall, glabrous or hairy with simple and branched hairs near base." [IFBC-E-flora]

"Habitat / Range Dry disturbed areas and waste areas in the lowland, montane and steppe zones; locally frequent in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the adjacent lower mainland, frequent in WC and SC BC; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Exotic [E-flora]

References


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