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Spring Draba

Spring Draba

Draba verna

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How common: Common

Alien species

Spring Draba is a tiny, early-spring annual in the mustard family. It pops up on dry, open ground and soon withers after setting seed. Its little white flowers have petals that are split so they look like eight.

Did you know?

  • The four white petals are deeply notched, making the flower look eight-petalled.
  • It was long known by the scientific name Erophila verna.

About the species

Identification

A very small annual, 1–15 cm tall, often much shorter. All leaves form a flat circle at the base (0.5–1.5 cm), narrow at the base, smooth-edged, slightly hairy. One to many thin, leafless stalks rise from the base. Flowers are tiny (2–4 mm), white; each petal is split halfway so the bloom looks eight-petalled, with a yellow center. Later, flat oval pods (4–7 mm) hang on thin stalks with a very short tip. Key clues: deeply notched petals and leafless flower stalks; many similar small mustards have undivided petals or leaves on the stem. Flowers in Finland in April–May.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Apr–May

About the habitat

Grows on dry, sunny, open places such as rocky ground, paths, dry pastures, field edges, stone walls and coastal rocks. Common in southern Finland.

Sources

Photo: Joss Carr, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5938118389

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Kulttuuriympäristöt: kedot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38439

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Dactylis-Epilobium, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38439

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38439

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kev%C3%A4tkynsim%C3%B6

See also