Draba verna L.
common draba (common whitlow-grass; spring draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jim Riley     (Photo ID #23105)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Draba verna
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems leafless, 5-20 (25) cm tall, glabrous or hairy with simple and branched hairs near base.
Leaves:
Basal leaves in a rosette, spoon-shaped to oblanceolate, entire to toothed, 1-2.5 cm long, hairs simple, branched or starlike; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Racemes 3- to 20-flowered; petals white, 3-4 mm long, deeply bilobed.
Fruits:
Silicles 3-10 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, elliptic to egg-shaped, glabrous; fruiting stalks 2-4 times as long as the silicles; style about 0.1 mm long; seeds 30-60, 0.3-0.5 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Draba verna

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
717 350 1737
Slope Gradient (%)
23 0 73

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

180 20 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 1 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
69
Modal BEC Zone Class
BG

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BG(33), IDF(14), PP(20)

Habitat and 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.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Draba praecox Stev.
Draba verna var. aestivalis Lej.
Draba verna var. boerhaavii H.C. Hall
Draba verna var. major Stur
Erophila spathulata A.F. Lang
Erophila verna (L.) Besser
Erophila verna subsp. praecox (Stev.) S.M. Walters
Erophila verna subsp. spathulata (A.F. Lang) S.M. Walters