About Draba albertina Greene
Draba albertina Greene can grow as a short-lived perennial or biennial, but it is most commonly an annual plant. Mature individuals reach 3 to 42 centimeters in height, and most grow between 5 and 30 centimeters tall. Stems may be simple, or branch near their ends; the lower stem portions are covered in short, soft hairs, while upper stem portions are either similarly hairy or hairless. Most of this plant’s leaves grow at its base, and stem leaves may be present or absent. Basal leaves attach to the plant via short stalks and measure between 0.3 centimeters to 3.5 centimeters in length; their surfaces are usually covered in fine hairs. Plants typically have 1 to 3 stem leaves that attach directly to the stem (sessile), but they may occasionally have no stem leaves, or up to five. The stem holds an inflorescence that contains 2 to 30 small yellow flowers. Its fruit is a silique, a narrow pod formed from two fused carpels. This fruit most often ranges from 6 to 12 millimeters in length, though it can occasionally be as short as 4 millimeters or as long as 15 millimeters. This species is native to western North America, where it grows at high elevations from Arizona north to Alaska and northern Canada. Like many Draba species, it can grow in alpine and Arctic climates.
