Draba incerta, July 7, 2022
Common & scientific name
Yellowstone draba, Draba incerta
Family
Mustard, Brassicaceae
Location
Geissler, 13,200’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
I call this a question mark because Ackerfield says this species is not found in our region, and is found on limestone (which is not found on Geissler: probably. Possible we have small outcrops of it). Weber, however, says it is found in the Elk Mountains, our neighbors to the southeast, not teeming with limestone. Also, Ackerfield says the dense hairs on the tiny leaves are “mostly pectinate” (comb-like) while Weber says they are “stellate” (star-like) and the Alpine Flower Finder (best small guide I’ve ever seen, hands down) says they are “mostly dendritic” (tree-like), the latter of which best fits the species I found. Most importantly, the fruit (silique/seed) was glabrous (hair-free) and non-inflated at the base, distinguishing it from D. ventosa and D. oligosperma. As Bill Weber said, “puzzling”!