What's this?

[Lori S.]

As above-zero (celsius, that is) weather has brought the feeling of spring to this area, I was out having a look at the troughs that have melted out of this winter's rather high snowfall.  When I post-holed through mid-calf depth snow out to the Opuntia trough, I noticed something I can't identify, nestled into the  base of the Townsendia rothrockii.  Does anyone recognize it?

The trough contains, clockwise from lower right:  Townsendi rothrockii, Arenaria 'Wallowa Mts.', Potentilla fruticosa var. pumila (now Dasiphora fruticosa), and a couple of Opuntia polyacantha.  The second photo shows the little unknown, next to one of last year's old Townsendia seedheads.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[McDonough]

Hard to tell, but it looks like a Draba.  I'm glad I don't have to weed that trough... ouch!

[Lori S.]

Fortunately, it needs little weeding... and I use needle-nose pliers if it does.  

Yes, Draba certainly crossed my mind too.  It rather resembles Draba aizoides (see attached)... maybe... though perhaps there are a hundred others it also resembles, that I am not familiar with.  

[RickR]

I'm sure you already know how easy it is for Drabas to seed around.  Somehow they jump from pot to pots for me too.  I only grown four or five drabas, and am certainly no expert, but it sure does look like aizoides to me too.

[McDonough]

I'm sure you already know how easy it is for Drabas to seed around.  Somehow they jump from pot to pots for me too.  I only grown four or five drabas, and am certainly no expert, but it sure does look like aizoides to me too.

Draba aizoides should be taken as the "type" for a whole group of similar species (dozens), such as D. hispanica.  Nothing wrong with any of these, they are serviceable tiny alpine plants with cheerful yellow flowers in early sping.  I have a similar scenario as Lori, where my Townsendia rothrockii in a trough has Draba seedlings showing up all around, the Draba misnamed and not a North American native one as I first planted, but akin to aizoides.

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Mark - that's good to know.  I find draba IDs quite baffling.  I have also received various slightly weedy drabas, mislabelled as other species (e.g. androsaces).  Oh well, it's all in a day's exploration of the alpine plant world!