The Charm of Draba: A World of Tiny Wonders
As a botanist, I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity of plant life, from towering redwoods to the smallest wildflowers. Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to the unassuming charm of the genus Draba, commonly known as whitlow-grass. These diminutive plants, often overlooked, possess a subtle beauty and remarkable resilience that truly captivates me.
A Closer Look at Draba
Draba is a large genus belonging to the Brassicaceae family, which also includes familiar plants like mustard and cabbage. What sets Draba apart is its incredible diversity, boasting over 400 species scattered across the globe. They thrive in a variety of habitats, from rocky alpine slopes to arctic tundra, showcasing their adaptability and hardiness.
These plants are typically small, forming rosettes of basal leaves from which delicate flower stalks emerge. The flowers themselves are usually yellow or white, though some species exhibit vibrant purple or pink hues. Their simple, cruciform blossoms (four petals arranged in a cross shape) might seem unremarkable at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they reveal an understated elegance.
Why Draba Matters
Draba might not be the showiest plant in the garden, but its importance extends beyond aesthetics. These hardy plants play a crucial role in their respective ecosystems, providing sustenance for pollinators and stabilizing fragile soils. Furthermore, Draba species have been used in traditional medicine for their purported healing properties.
For me, Draba represents the beauty of understated resilience. These plants thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth, reminding us that strength can be found even in the smallest of forms. Their ability to adapt and persist serves as an inspiration, a testament to the tenacity of life.
Exploring the Diversity of Draba
- Draba abajoensis Windham & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × abiskoensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba × abiskojokkensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba acaulis Boiss.
- Draba acutidentata Bomble
- Draba affghanica Boiss.
- Draba airdii G.A.Mulligan
- Draba aizoides L.
- Draba alajica Litv.
- Draba alberti Regel & Schmalh.
- Draba albertina Greene
- Draba × algida Adams ex DC.
- Draba alpina L.
- Draba alshehbazii Klimeš & D.A.German
- Draba altaica (C.A.Mey.) Bunge
- Draba alyssoides Humb. & Bonpl. ex DC.
- Draba × amandae O.E.Schulz
- Draba × ambigua Ledeb.
- Draba amoena O.E.Schulz
- Draba amplexicaulis Franch.
- Draba ancashensis Al-Shehbaz, A.Cano & Trinidad
- Draba antilibanotica Al-Shehbaz
- Draba aquisgranensis Bomble
- Draba arabisans Michx.
- Draba arauquensis Santana
- Draba arbuscula Hook.f.
- Draba arctica J.Vahl
- Draba arctogena (Ekman) Ekman
- Draba aretioides Humb. & Bonpl. ex DC.
- Draba argentifolia Al-Shehbaz
- Draba argyrea Rydb.
- Draba arida C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba arseniewii (B.Fedtsch.) Gilg ex Tolm.
- Draba aspera Bertol.
- Draba × asplundii O.E.Schulz
- Draba asprella Greene
- Draba asterophora Payson
- Draba aubrietioides Jafri
- Draba aucheri Boiss.
- Draba aurea Vahl ex Hornem.
- Draba aureola S.Watson
- Draba bagmatiensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba baicalensis Tolm.
- Draba bajtenovii Veselova
- Draba barclayana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba barguzinensis (O.D.Nikif.) Baikov
- Draba bartholomewii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba bellardii S.F.Blake
- Draba beltranii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba bennettii G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba bertiscea Lakušić & Stevanovic
- Draba bhutanica H.Hara
- Draba bifurcata (C.L.Hitchc.) Al-Shehbaz & Windham
- Draba × blyttii O.E.Schulz
- Draba × borderi O.E.Schulz
- Draba borealis DC.
- Draba boyacana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba brachystemon DC.
- Draba brachystylis Rydb.
- Draba brackenridgei A.Gray
- Draba × brandtii O.E.Schulz
- Draba breweri S.Watson
- Draba bruce-bennettii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba bruniifolia Steven
- Draba bryoides DC.
- Draba burkartiana O.E.Schulz
- Draba burkei (C.L.Hitchc.) Windham & Beilstein
- Draba × buschii O.E.Schulz
- Draba cachemirica Gand.
- Draba cacuminum E.Ekman
- Draba cajamarcensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba calcicola O.E.Schulz
- Draba californica (Jeps.) Rollins & R.A.Price
- Draba cana Rydb.
- Draba canoensis Al-Shehbaz, Trinidad, Ed.Navarro & Rodr.-Paredes
- Draba cantabriae (LaÃnz) LaÃnz
- Draba cappadocica Boiss. & Balansa
- Draba cardaminiflora Kom.
- Draba carnosula O.E.Schulz
- Draba caswellii G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba catlingii G.A.Mulligan
- Draba cayouettei G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba cemileae Karaer
- Draba chamissonis G.Don
- Draba cheiranthoides Hook.f.
- Draba chionophila S.F.Blake
- Draba cholaensis W.W.Sm.
- Draba cinerea Adams
- Draba cocuyana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba compacta Schott, Nyman & Kotschy
- Draba confertifolia Turcz.
- Draba corrugata S.Watson
- Draba corymbosa R.Br. ex DC.
- Draba crassa Rydb.
- Draba crassifolia Graham
- Draba cretica Boiss. & Heldr.
- Draba cruciata Payson
- Draba cryophila Cuatrec.
- Draba cryptantha Hook.f.
- Draba cuatrecasasiana J.O.Rangel & Santana
- Draba cusickii C.B.Rob. ex O.E.Schulz
- Draba cuspidata M.Bieb.
- Draba cuzcoensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba cyclomorpha Payson
- Draba czuensis Revuschkin & A.L.Ebel
- Draba darbyshirei G.A.Mulligan
- Draba darwasica Lipsky
- Draba daurica DC.
- Draba daviesiae (C.L.Hitchc.) Rollins
- Draba × davosiana Brügger
- Draba × decipiens O.E.Schulz
- Draba dedeana Boiss. & Reut.
- Draba demareei Wiggins
- Draba densifolia Nutt.
- Draba depressa Hook.f.
- Draba diazii Rivas Mart., M.E.GarcÃa & Penas
- Draba discoidea Wedd.
- Draba × districta O.E.Schulz
- Draba diversifolia Boiss. & A.Huet
- Draba doerfleri Wettst.
- Draba dolomitica Buttler
- Draba dongchuanensis Al-Shehbaz, J.P.Yue, T.Deng & H.L.Chen
- Draba dorneri Heuff.
- Draba draboides (Maxim.) Al-Shehbaz
- Draba droserifolia Bomble
- Draba dubia Suter
- Draba ecuadoriana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba edmondii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × ekmaniana Weingerl
- Draba elata Hook.f. & Thomson
- Draba elegans Boiss.
- Draba elisabethae N.Busch
- Draba ellipsoidea Hook.f. & Thomson
- Draba eriopoda Turcz. ex Ledeb.
- Draba eschscholtzii Pohle & N.Busch
- Draba extensa Wedd.
- Draba exunguiculata (O.E.Schulz) C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba falconeri O.E.Schulz
- Draba farsetioides Linden & Planch.
- Draba fedtschenkoi (Pohle) Gilg ex Tolm.
- Draba × ficta Camus ex Hayek
- Draba fladnizensis Wulfen
- Draba franktonii G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba fuhaiensis Z.X.An
- Draba funckiana Linden & Planch.
- Draba funckii (Turcz.) Al-Shehbaz
- Draba funiculosa Hook.f.
- Draba gilgiana Muschl.
- Draba gilliesii Hook. & Arn.
- Draba glabella Pursh
- Draba glacialis Adams
- Draba glauca Bomble
- Draba globosa Payson
- Draba glomerata Royle
- Draba gracillima Hook.f. & Thomson
- Draba graminea Greene
- Draba grayana (Rydb.) C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba hallii Hook.f.
- Draba hammenii Cuatrec. & Cleef
- Draba handelii O.E.Schulz
- Draba haradjianii Rech.f.
- Draba × harry-smithii O.E.Schulz
- Draba haynaldii Stur
- Draba healyi G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba heilii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba helleriana Greene
- Draba hemsleyana Gilg
- Draba henrici Al-Shehbaz
- Draba hidalgensis Calderón
- Draba himachalensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba hirta L.
- Draba hispanica Boiss.
- Draba hispida Willd.
- Draba hissarica Lipsky
- Draba hitchcockii Rollins
- Draba hookeri Walp.
- Draba hoppeana Rchb.
- Draba howellii S.Watson
- Draba huetii Boiss.
- Draba humbertii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba humillima O.E.Schulz
- Draba hyperborea (L.) Desv.
- Draba imbricata C.A.Mey.
- Draba imeretica (Rupr.) Rupr.
- Draba implexa Rollins
- Draba incana L.
- Draba incerta Payson
- Draba × incerta O.E.Schulz
- Draba incompta Steven
- Draba incrassata (Rollins) Rollins & R.A.Price
- Draba inexpectata S.L.Welsh
- Draba inquisiviana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba insularis Pissjauk.
- Draba × intermedia Hegetschw.
- Draba involucrata (W.W.Sm.) W.W.Sm.
- Draba jaegeri Munz & I.M.Johnst.
- Draba japonica Maxim.
- Draba jiulongensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba jorullensis Kunth
- Draba jucunda W.W.Sm.
- Draba juvenilis Kom.
- Draba kassii S.L.Welsh
- Draba × kingii O.E.Schulz
- Draba kitadakensis Koidz.
- Draba kluanei G.A.Mulligan
- Draba kodarica O.D.Nikif.
- Draba koeiei Rech.f.
- Draba kohlscheidensis Bomble
- Draba kongboiana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba korabensis Kümmerle & Degen
- Draba korshinskyi (O.Fedtsch.) Pohle
- Draba kotschyi Stur
- Draba kuemmerlei Stevan. & D.Lakusic
- Draba kuramensis Yunusov
- Draba kuznetsowii (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Hayek
- Draba lacaitae Boiss.
- Draba laconica Stevan. & Kit Tan
- Draba lactea Adams
- Draba ladina Braun-Blanq.
- Draba ladyginii Pohle
- Draba laegaardii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba lanceolata Royle
- Draba lapaziana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × larssonii O.E.Schulz
- Draba lasiocarpa Rochel
- Draba lasiophylla Royle
- Draba × lastrungica O.E.Schulz
- Draba × lattinicciae Gamisans
- Draba lemmonii S.Watson
- Draba lichiangensis W.W.Sm.
- Draba × lindblomii O.E.Schulz
- Draba lindenii (Hook.) Planch. ex Sprague
- Draba linearifolia L.L.Lou & T.Y.Cheo
- Draba lipskyi Tolm.
- Draba litamo L.Uribe
- Draba loayzana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba loiseleurii Boiss.
- Draba lonchocarpa Rydb.
- Draba longiciliata Al-Shehbaz & Sklenář
- Draba longisiliqua Schmalh. ex Akinf.
- Draba longisquamosa O.E.Schulz
- Draba lunkii V.I.Dorof.
- Draba lutescens Coss.
- Draba macbeathiana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba macleanii Hook.f.
- Draba macounii O.E.Schulz
- Draba magadanensis Berkut. & A.P.Khokhr.
- Draba magellanica Lam.
- Draba maguirei C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba majae Berkut. & A.P.Khokhr.
- Draba majuscula Rouy & Foucaud
- Draba malpighiacea Windham & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba matangensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba matthioloides Gilg ex O.E.Schulz
- Draba melanopus Kom.
- Draba meskhetica Chinth.
- Draba metaarctica V.V.Petrovsky
- Draba micheorum Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × microcarpa (Trautv.) O.E.Schulz
- Draba microcarpella A.N.Vassiljeva & Golosk.
- Draba micropetala Hook.
- Draba mieheorum Al-Shehbaz
- Draba mingrelica Schischk.
- Draba minima (C.A.Mey.) Steud.
- Draba × mixta O.E.Schulz
- Draba mogollonica Greene
- Draba mollissima Steven
- Draba mongolica Turcz.
- Draba monoensis Rollins & R.A.Price
- Draba montbretiana Sommier & Levier
- Draba mulliganii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba murrayi G.A.Mulligan
- Draba nana Stapf
- Draba narmanensis Yıld.
- Draba nemorosa L.
- Draba nivalis Lilj.
- Draba nivicola Rose
- Draba norvegica Gunnerus
- Draba novolympica Payson & H.St.John
- Draba nuda (Bél.) Al-Shehbaz & M.Koch
- Draba nylamensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba oblongata R.Br. ex DC.
- Draba obovata Benth.
- Draba ochroleuca Bunge
- Draba ochropetala O.E.Schulz
- Draba odudiana Lipsky
- Draba ogilviensis Hultén
- Draba olgae Regel & Schmalh.
- Draba oligosperma Hook.
- Draba olympicoides Strobl
- Draba oreades Schrenk
- Draba oreadum Maire
- Draba oreibata J.F.Macbr. & Payson
- Draba oreodoxa W.W.Sm.
- Draba orientalis Karabacak & Behçet
- Draba ossetica (Rupr.) Sommier & Levier
- Draba ovibovina (E.Ekman) E.Ekman
- Draba oxycarpa Sommerf.
- Draba pacheri Stur
- Draba pachythyrsa Triana & Planch.
- Draba paishanensis T.Mori
- Draba pakistanica Jafri
- Draba palanderiana Kjellm.
- Draba pamirica (O.Fedtsch.) Pohle
- Draba pamplonensis Planch. & Linden
- Draba parnassica Boiss.
- Draba parviflora (Regel & Tiling) O.E.Schulz
- Draba parvisiliquosa Tolm.
- Draba pauciflora R.Br.
- Draba paucifructa Clokey & C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba paysonii J.F.Macbr.
- Draba pectinipila Rollins
- Draba pedicellata (Rollins & R.A.Price) Windham
- Draba pennell-hazenii O.E.Schulz
- Draba pennellii Rollins
- Draba × perdubia O.E.Schulz
- Draba peruviana (DC.) O.E.Schulz
- Draba petrophila Greene
- Draba physocarpa Kom.
- Draba pickeringii A.Gray
- Draba × pilgeri O.E.Schulz
- Draba pilosa Adams ex DC.
- Draba podolica (Besser) Rupr.
- Draba pohlei Tolm.
- Draba poluniniana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba polyphylla O.E.Schulz
- Draba polytricha Ledeb.
- Draba porsildii Mulligan
- Draba praealta Greene
- Draba praecox Steven
- Draba primuloides Turcz.
- Draba pseudocheiranthoides Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × pseudonivalis N.Busch
- Draba × pseudovesicaria O.E.Schulz
- Draba pterosperma Payson
- Draba pulchella Willd. ex DC.
- Draba pulcherrima Gilg
- Draba pulvinata Turcz.
- Draba punoensis Al-Shehbaz, Ed.Navarro, Trinidad & A.Cano
- Draba pusilla F.Phil. ex Phil.
- Draba puvirnituqii G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba pycnophylla Turcz.
- Draba pycnosperma Fernald & C.H.Knowlt.
- Draba pygmaea Turcz. ex N.Busch
- Draba quearaensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba radicans Royle
- Draba ramosissima Desv.
- Draba ramulosa Rollins
- Draba rectifructa C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba remotiflora O.E.Schulz
- Draba rigida Willd.
- Draba rimarum (Rech.f.) Khosravi & Eslami-Farouji
- Draba ritacuvana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba rositae Santana & J.O.Rangel
- Draba rosularis Boiss.
- Draba ruaxes Payson & H.St.John
- Draba sachalinensis (F.Schmidt) Trautv.
- Draba sagasteguii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba sakuraii Makino
- Draba sambukii Tolm.
- Draba sanctae-martae O.E.Schulz
- Draba santaquinensis Windham & Allphin
- Draba sapozhnikovii A.L.Ebel
- Draba sarycheleki Veselova
- Draba sauteri Hoppe
- Draba saxosa Davidson
- Draba scabra C.A.Mey.
- Draba × schaeferi O.E.Schulz
- Draba schultzei O.E.Schulz
- Draba schusteri O.E.Schulz
- Draba scopulorum Wedd.
- Draba scotteri G.A.Mulligan
- Draba sekiyana Ohwi
- Draba senilis O.E.Schulz
- Draba sericea Santana & J.O.Rangel
- Draba serpentina (Tiehm & P.K.Holmgren) Al-Shehbaz & Windham
- Draba setosa Royle
- Draba sharsmithii Rollins & R.A.Price
- Draba shehbazii G.A.Mulligan
- Draba sherriffii Grierson
- Draba shiroumana Makino
- Draba sibirica (Pall.) Thell.
- Draba sierrae Sharsm.
- Draba sikkimensis (Hook.f. & T.Anderson) Pohle
- Draba siliquosa M.Bieb.
- Draba simmonsii Elven & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba simonkaiana Jáv.
- Draba smithii Gilg & O.E.Schulz
- Draba sobolifera Rydb.
- Draba soratensis Wedd.
- Draba spectabilis Greene
- Draba sphaerocarpa J.F.Macbr. & Payson
- Draba sphaeroides Payson
- Draba splendens Gilg
- Draba × spreadhoroughii O.E.Schulz
- Draba spruceana Wedd.
- Draba staintonii Jafri ex H.Hara
- Draba standleyi J.F.Macbr. & Payson
- Draba stellata Jacq.
- Draba stenobotrys Gilg & O.E.Schulz
- Draba stenocarpa Hook.f. & Thomson
- Draba stenoloba Ledeb.
- Draba stenopetala Trautv.
- Draba steyermarkii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba strasseri Greuter
- Draba streptobrachia R.A.Price
- Draba streptocarpa A.Gray
- Draba strigosula Bomble
- Draba × sturii Strobl
- Draba stylaris J.Gay ex W.D.J.Koch
- Draba stylosa Turcz.
- Draba subalpina Goodman & C.L.Hitchc.
- Draba subamplexicaulis C.A.Mey.
- Draba subcapitata Simmons
- Draba subfladnizensis Kuvaev
- Draba subnivalis Braun-Blanq.
- Draba subsecunda Sommier & Levier
- Draba subumbellata Rollins & R.A.Price
- Draba sunhangiana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba supranivalis Rupr.
- Draba supravillosa A.P.Khokhr.
- Draba surculosa Franch.
- Draba taimyrensis Tolm.
- Draba talassica Pohle
- Draba taylorii G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba tenerrima O.E.Schulz
- Draba thlaspiformis (Phil.) Al-Shehbaz
- Draba thompsonii (C.L.Hitchc.) G.A.Mulligan & Al-Shehbaz
- Draba thylacocarpa (Nábělek) Hedge
- Draba tibetica Hook.f. & Thomson
- Draba tichomirovii Kozhevn.
- Draba tolmatchevii V.V.Petrovsky
- Draba tomentosa Clairv.
- Draba × tornensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba × traunsteineri Hoppe
- Draba trichocarpa Rollins
- Draba trinervis O.E.Schulz
- Draba tschuktschorum Trautv.
- Draba tucumanensis O.E.Schulz
- Draba tundrostepposa V.V.Petrovsky
- Draba turczaninowii Pohle & N.Busch
- Draba turgida É.Huet & A.Huet ex Ces., Pass. & Gibelli
- Draba ucuncha Al-Shehbaz
- Draba × uczkolensis B.Fedtsch.
- Draba × ursorum Gand.
- Draba ussuriensis Pohle
- Draba venezuelana Al-Shehbaz
- Draba ventosa A.Gray
- Draba verna L.
- Draba vesicaria Desv.
- Draba violacea DC.
- Draba viridis A.Heller
- Draba volcanica Benth.
- Draba vvedenskyi Kovalevsk.
- Draba weberi R.A.Price & Rollins
- Draba werffii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba wiemannii (O.E.Schulz) Hand.-Mazz.
- Draba × wilczekii O.E.Schulz
- Draba winterbottomii (Hook.f. & Thomson) Pohle
- Draba wurdackii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba xylopoda Al-Shehbaz
- Draba yueii Al-Shehbaz
- Draba yukonensis A.E.Porsild
- Draba yungayensis Al-Shehbaz
- Draba yunnanensis Franch.
- Draba yunussovii Tolm.
- Draba zangbeiensis L.L.Lu
- Draba zionensis C.L.Hitchc.
My Journey with Draba
My own fascination with Draba began during a botanical expedition to the Alps. While surrounded by the grandeur of the mountains, my attention was drawn to a tiny patch of Draba aizoides clinging to a rocky outcrop. Its vibrant yellow flowers provided a stark contrast to the gray rock, a testament to life’s ability to flourish even in the most challenging environments.
Since then, I’ve sought out Draba species wherever my botanical journeys take me. Each encounter reinforces my admiration for these unassuming plants. Their resilience, diversity, and understated beauty continue to inspire me, reminding me that there’s always more to discover in the natural world, even in the smallest of forms.
I encourage fellow botanists, nature enthusiasts, and anyone with a curious mind to take a closer look at Draba. You might be surprised by the beauty and complexity that these tiny plants hold.