What's this?

Submitted by Lori S. on

As above-zero (celsius, that is) weather has brought the feeling of spring to this area, I was out having a look at the troughs that have melted out of this winter's rather high snowfall. When I post-holed through mid-calf depth snow out to the Opuntia trough, I noticed something I can't identify, nestled into the base of the Townsendia rothrockii. Does anyone recognize it?

The trough contains, clockwise from lower right: Townsendi rothrockii, Arenaria 'Wallowa Mts.', Potentilla fruticosa var. pumila (now Dasiphora fruticosa), and a couple of Opuntia polyacantha. The second photo shows the little unknown, next to one of last year's old Townsendia seedheads.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

350.52 KB
230.40 KB

Comments

Submitted by Mark McD on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 16:36

Hard to tell, but it looks like a Draba.  I'm glad I don't have to weed that trough... ouch!

Submitted by Lori S. on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 17:21

Fortunately, it needs little weeding... and I use needle-nose pliers if it does.   ;D

Yes, Draba certainly crossed my mind too.  It rather resembles Draba aizoides (see attached)... maybe... though perhaps there are a hundred others it also resembles, that I am not familiar with.   :)

397.87 KB

Submitted by RickR on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 21:33

I'm sure you already know how easy it is for Drabas to seed around.  Somehow they jump from pot to pots for me too.  I only grown four or five drabas, and am certainly no expert, but it sure does look like aizoides to me too.

Submitted by Mark McD on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 21:48

RickR wrote:

I'm sure you already know how easy it is for Drabas to seed around.  Somehow they jump from pot to pots for me too.  I only grown four or five drabas, and am certainly no expert, but it sure does look like aizoides to me too.

Draba aizoides should be taken as the "type" for a whole group of similar species (dozens), such as D. hispanica.  Nothing wrong with any of these, they are serviceable tiny alpine plants with cheerful yellow flowers in early sping.  I have a similar scenario as Lori, where my Townsendia rothrockii in a trough has Draba seedlings showing up all around, the Draba misnamed and not a North American native one as I first planted, but akin to aizoides.

Submitted by Lori S. on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 15:37

Thanks, Mark - that's good to know.  I find draba IDs quite baffling.  I have also received various slightly weedy drabas, mislabelled as other species (e.g. androsaces).  Oh well, it's all in a day's exploration of the alpine plant world!