| Draba aizoides | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Draba |
| Species: | D. aizoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Draba aizoides | |
Draba aizoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, known as yellow whitlow-grass. It is native to Europe where it is found on limestone rocks and walls. In the British Isles it is found only on the Gower Peninsula in Wales.
Draba aizoides is a perennial plant, with a basal rosette of linear, stiff, entire leaves fringed with white bristles. The erect hairless and leafless stems grow to 10 centimetres (4 in), or exceptionally to 15 cm (6 in), and carry a small number of yellow flowers. These have four broad, hardly-notched petals and four hairless sepals. The seed pods are elliptical. The plant flowers in March and April in the British Isles. [1] [2]
Draba aizoides has a wide distribution in the mountains of southern and central Europe, from the Pyrenees in the west, through the Alps to the Carpathians. [3] It also has a number of isolated occurrences, including the Vosges, Jura, Cévennes, Auvergne, Côte d'Or, Plateau de Langres and the Belgian Ardennes. [3] In the British Isles, it is found only on limestone cliffs on the Gower Peninsula, from Worm's Head to Pwlldu Head. [4] It is a lowland species and grows in pockets of soil in damp cracks and crevices in limestone rocks. When it occurs in grassland or in bare soil away from limestone rocks it seldom thrives. [5]
This plant was first discovered in 1795 in the British Isles, and genetic analysis has shown that the populations in the Gower are quite distinct from those growing in continental Europe, so the plant does seem to be native to Britain. Although its total population is very small, its overall distribution has largely remained stable; plant collectors have removed some plants but the less accessible ones are persisting, although in some sites they have decreased somewhat for reasons that are not clear. [5]
Adoxa moschatellina, moschatel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae which has a highly distinctive inflorescence. This herbaceous perennial grows in relatively sunny places in old woodland, such as the edges of streams, and in shady places in open habitats such as rock crevices in limestone pavements. It has a limited ability to spread by seed, but expands vegetatively via its long stolons. It is a widespread but generally uncommon plant which is not considered to be threatened within its natural range.
Anemonoides ranunculoides, the yellow anemone, yellow wood anemone, or buttercup anemone, is a species of herbaceous and perennial plant that grows in forests across Europe to western Asia, and less frequently in the Mediterranean region. It is occasionally found as a garden escape.
Narthecium ossifragum, commonly known as bog asphodel, Lancashire asphodel or bastard asphodel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Nartheciaceae. It is native to Western Europe, found on wet, boggy moorlands up to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation. It produces spikes of bright yellow flowers in summer. The bright orange fruits have been used as a colourant to replace saffron by Shetland Islanders. Despite the plant's English name "bog asphodel", it is not particularly closely related to the true asphodels. In addition to other forms of pollination, this plant is adapted to rain-pollination. The Latin specific name ossifragum means "bone-breaker", and refers to a traditional belief that eating the plant caused sheep to develop brittle bones. The probable origin of this story is that sheep eating a calcium-poor diet are likely to develop bone weakness, and N. ossifragum favours acidic low-calcium soils.
Euonymus europaeus, the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on nutrient-rich, chalky and salt-poor soils. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree.
Geum rivale, the water avens, is a flowering plant in the genus Geum within the family Rosaceae. Other names of the plant are nodding avens, drooping avens, cure-all, water flower and Indian chocolate. It is native to the temperate regions of Europe, Central Asia and parts of North America, where it is known as the purple avens. It grows in bogs and damp meadows, and produces nodding red flowers from May to September.
Ulex gallii, the western gorse or dwarf furze is an evergreen shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to the Atlantic coasts of western Europe: southern Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man, western France and the northern coast of Spain.
Lathyrus aphaca, known as the yellow pea or yellow vetchling, is an annual species in the family Fabaceae with yellow flowers and solitary, pea-like fruits. It originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout Europe and beyond as a weed of cultivated fields and roadsides. The fruits are eaten as a supplement to diets in some parts of South Asia but are narcotic and potentially toxic in large quantities.
Draba verna, common whitlowgrass, is a species of plant in the cabbage family. It is a small spring-flowering annual which is widely dispersed around the world, and which is found on walls, pavements and patches of bare ground. It has a complex taxonomy which is not yet fully elucidated.
Polygonum aviculare or common knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock. It is also called prostrate knotweed, birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass. It is an annual found in fields and wasteland, with white flowers from June to October. It is widespread across many countries in temperate regions, apparently native to Eurasia, naturalized in temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere.
Geranium lucidum, commonly known as shining cranesbill or shining geranium or shiny geranium, is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus Geranium. It is native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It has been introduced to North America as a garden plant and in places, particularly the Pacific Northwest, has become naturalised and is viewed as an invasive species and noxious weed.
Lactuca muralis, the wall lettuce, is a perennial flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae, also referred to as Mycelis muralis.
Asplenium trichomanes, the maidenhair spleenwort, is a small fern in the spleenwort genus Asplenium. It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subspecies.
Cirsium heterophyllum, the melancholy thistle, is an erect spineless herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia, where it grows in upland meadows, grasslands, road verges and open woodland.
Cypripedium calceolus is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to Europe and Asia.
Arenaria norvegica, also known as Arctic, English or Norwegian sandwort, is a low growing plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, found in northwest Europe. The diploid chromosome number is 2n=80. There are two recognised subspecies.
Crepis tectorum, commonly referred to as the narrowleaf hawksbeard or narrow-leaved hawk's-beard, is an annual or winter annual plant between 30 and 100 centimetres in height. Originating in Siberia before being introduced to Canada in 1890, the narrowleaf hawksbeard's is an invasive species. Maintaining one branched, hairless and leafy stem during maturity, the narrowleaf hawksbeard has yellow leaves which are arranged in an alternate manner and less than 0.5 inches (13 mm) wide.
Ranunculus auricomus, known as goldilocks buttercup or Greenland buttercup, is a perennial species of buttercup native to Eurasia. It is a calcicole typically found in moist woods and at the margins of woods. It is apomictic, and several hundred agamospecies have been recognised.
Vaccinium oxycoccos is a species of flowering plant in the heath family. It is known as small cranberry, marshberry, bog cranberry, swamp cranberry, or, particularly in Britain, just cranberry. It is widespread throughout the cool temperate northern hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America.
Draba globosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common names beavertip draba, round-fruited draba, and rockcress draba. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs in Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and possibly Colorado.
Gentianella anglica, the early gentian, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Gentianella, native to Great Britain. Gentianella anglica is endemic to Great Britain and its centre of distribution is in Dorset, Wiltshire, and the Isle of Wight.
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