Southern California draba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern California draba |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Draba
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| Species: |
corrugata
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The Draba corrugata is a small flowering plant. People often call it the Southern California draba. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which is also known as the mustard family.
Contents
What is Southern California Draba?
This plant is a type of herb. It can live for two years (biennial) or many years (perennial). It grows in a special way, forming a cushion-like clump of leaves close to the ground.
Where Does It Live?
The Southern California draba grows naturally in specific parts of North America. You can find it in the eastern Transverse Ranges of southern California. It also lives in the Peninsular Ranges of Southern California and Baja California. This plant likes to grow in rocky places.
What Does It Look Like?
The leaves of the Draba corrugata are about 1 to 3 centimeters long. They have a gray-green color. These leaves are covered in coarse, rough hairs.
When the plant blooms, it sends up a tall stem. This stem can hold over 100 small flowers. These flowers look a bit like tiny mustard flowers. They have yellow petals, and each petal is less than 0.5 centimeters long.
After the flowers bloom, they produce a fruit. This fruit is called a silique. It's oval-shaped and looks a bit twisted. Inside the silique, there are many tiny seeds.
Different Types of Draba
There are two main types, or varieties, of Draba corrugata:
- Draba corrugata var. corrugata: This is the most common type. You can find it in Southern California and Baja California.
- Draba corrugata var. saxosa: This type is much rarer. It is only found in a few specific mountain ranges. These include the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County. It also grows in the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, Southern California.
