Draba asterophora
Encyclopedia
Draba asterophora is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family
known by the common name Lake Tahoe draba. It is native to the High Sierra Nevada of California
and western Nevada
around the Lake Tahoe
area. It is a squat perennial herb which forms small mats in rocky habitat in the alpine climate
of the high mountains. It forms a basal patch of thick, hairy oval leaves up to 1.5 centimeters long. A small, erect inflorescence
arises from the patch bearing several yellow mustardlike flowers. The fruit is a flat, wavy silique
which is oval in shape, somewhat membranous, and up to 1.5 centimeters long. It contains several flat, round seeds with wide wings along the edges.
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
known by the common name Lake Tahoe draba. It is native to the High Sierra Nevada of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
around the Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
area. It is a squat perennial herb which forms small mats in rocky habitat in the alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
of the high mountains. It forms a basal patch of thick, hairy oval leaves up to 1.5 centimeters long. A small, erect inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
arises from the patch bearing several yellow mustardlike flowers. The fruit is a flat, wavy silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
which is oval in shape, somewhat membranous, and up to 1.5 centimeters long. It contains several flat, round seeds with wide wings along the edges.