Draba verna (Spring draba)

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Draba verna L.

Spring draba, spring whitlow-mustard, spring Whitlow-grass

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Brassicales	Mustard, cabbage, caper, papaya, nasturtiums, many others; most produce mustard oil
Family	Brassicaceae	Mustards, cabbages
Genus	Draba	From the Greek drabe for “sharp” or “acrid” and referring to the burning taste of the leaves which supposedly had a medicinal value as a poultice
Species	verna	Of spring

About plant names...

Spring whitlow-mustard is a Eurasian native, introduced to and well established in North America. It is common in disturbed habitats such as meadows and fields.

Plants: These inconspicuous plants are easily overlooked. They are 1¾-8″ (5-20 cm) in size.

Leaves: Basal, Simple, sometimes toothed. Each leaf is 1/16-⅝″ (2-18 mm) long, obovate, oblanceolate, or linear. Leaf surfaces have tiny hairs poking up from dimpled spots.

Flowers: Flowerheads have 4-20 flowers. Each flower is white, with four petals each divided nearly in two, on wiry stalks (pedicels) ⅛-¾″ (5-20 mm) long. Petals are 1/16-⅛ ⨉ 1/32-1/16″ (2-4.5 ⨉ 1-2 mm) in size.

Fruits: ⅛-¼ ⨉ 1/32-1/16″ (4-9 ⨉ 1.5-2.5 mm), and flat.

Online References:

Minnesotawildflowers.info

Gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org

The Jepson Manual