HOARY WHITLOWGRASS

Draba incana

Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae]

sex

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

Supposedly a tufted species growing in tight groups, but here almost alone apart from one other specimen behind it. Grows up to 40cm high. Any basal rosettes of it are sterile (none visible here).

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

The slightly-notched petals are white (yellow only on Yellow Whitlowgrass (Draba aizoides). With 4 white petals, in a slightly zygomorphic arrangement when open. T

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

The fruits are flattened and Privet-leaf shaped (but longer).

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

The fruits are between 5.5 to 12mm long and usually twisted when ripe. The style on the fruit is less than 1mm long.

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

The leaves are coarsely-toothed and narrow-elliptical to narrow-ovate in outline. The whole plants (apart from the flowers) is hoary hairy. Usually with more than three leaves.

22nd June 2013, Teesdale.

Not to be semantically confused with : Hairy Whitlowgrass (Europhila majuscula) [a rarer Whitlowgrass with less dense hairs which also is in a differing genus]

Easily mistaken for : Any short dwarf plants of this might easily be confused with Rock Whitlowgrass (Draba norvegica) but that usually has fewer stellate hairs and more simple hairs. The fruits are also shorter at just 3 to 8mm long and the style on the fruit just 0.5mm or less (shorter than the short 1mm of Hoary Whitlowgrass). The leaves of this also usually lack teeth - or they are only few shorter ones).

USE BY BUTTERFLIES

LAYS EGGS ON	CATERPILLAR	CHRYSALIS	BUTTERFLY
			✓
			Orange-tip

Draba

incana

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Brassicaceae

Distribution
family8Cabbage family8Brassicaceae
BSBI maps

Draba
(Whitlowgrasses)