SPECIES DESCRIPTION
DRABA MURALIS
Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE/Sect. DRABELLA
Common Names:- Wall-whitlow-grass
Homotypic Synonyms:- Drabella muralis.
Meaning:- Draba (Gr) Acrid, a name used by the Greek physician and botanist
Dioscorides.
Muralis (L) Of the walls, growing on walls.
General description:- Erect annual or biennial with slender taproot;
Stems:-
1) 10-25 cm, simple or rarely branched, more or less stellate-hairy. With several
leaves.
Leaves:-
1) Rosette, obovate-cuneate, with simple and stellate hairs.
2) Cauline, 4-10 x 2-5 mm, ovate, cordate, at the base, semi-amplexicaul, entire or
coarsely dentate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, many-flowered ± glabrous, elongating in fruit.
2) Petals, 2-2.5 mm, white.
3) Pedicels patent, as long as or slightly longer than the silicula.
4) Style short, inconspicuous in fruit.
Fruit:-
1) Silicula 3-8 mm, oblong-elliptical, glabrous.
Key features:-
1) Pedicels in fruit as long as or longer than the silicula.
2) Silicula glabrous.
3) Cauline leaves cordate, at the base, amplexicaul.
Habitat:- Meadows, woodland openings, field margins, mainly on limestone. (0-)
200-1500 m.
Distribution:- Throughout mainland Greece and Peloponnisos, widespread in
Europe and SW Asia to Scandinavia and Caucasus. Limited distribution on Crete,
mainly confined to the Omalos plain in the Lefka Ori and the Psiloritis massif.
Flowering time:- Apr to early June.
Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel
