Snowbasin Draba (Draba burkei)

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Brassicaceae
State: UT
Nature Serve ID: 146462
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Burkes draba (Draba burkei) is a small leafed, small flowered perennial that lives high in the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah. Burkes draba was only recently described as a separate species from Draba maguirei var. burkei (Windham 1998). Changing this taxon to a full species from a variety has great conservation implications. While Burkes draba was known as a variety of Draba maguirei it was considered a rare species. As a species in itself, it is an extremely rare plant. There is a distance of 11.5 km between the closest known populations of Draba maguirei and Draba burkei. Along with the differences morphologically and genetically there is enough evidence to classify this plant as a separate species. It shares certain characteristics with other related Draba species like yellow flowers borne on leafless stems and oblong, toothed leaves in basal rosettes. However, Burkes draba does not hybridize with Draba maguirei and they rarely share the same substrate preferences. Burkes draba is also closely allied with Draba globosa. Nonetheless, there is a cutoff at an elevation of 3000 meters where Burkes draba ends and Draba globosa begins (Windham 1998). Utah hosted the 2002 winter Olympics in the Uinta Mountain range. One Draba burkei population was found directly in the path of the proposed ski run for the Mens downhill event. To create a safe run, the construction cut into a portion of this, the largest, population of Burkes draba (Johnson 2001). These plants were removed and sent to Denver Botanic Gardens where they can now be viewed and studied by the public. Three plants are growing in the naturalistic gardens of Denver Botanic Gardens and one plant is being kept in the greenhouse.

Where is Snowbasin Draba (Draba burkei) located in the wild?

Habitat:

In the southern end of its range, Draba burkei is found growing on a substrate of quartzite while plants in the northern and central portions are found on limestone or calcareous shale outcrops. This is in contrast to the dolomite preference of its allied taxa, Draba maguirei. Draba burkei is often found in the crevices of rock outcrops on cooler north or northwest slopes (NY Botanical Garden). This taxa is found among various combinations of Acer, Pseudotsuga, Pinus, Abies, Juniperus, Cercocarpus, Poa, Agrostis and Carex.

Distribution:

Draba burkei is endemic to Utah with occurrences known only in Box Elder, Cache and Weber counties. (NatureServe 2003) It occurs in four areas of the Wellsville and Wasatch Mountains along the Cache.

States & Provinces:

Snowbasin Draba can be found in Utah

Which CPC Partners conserve Snowbasin Draba (Draba burkei)?

Denver Botanic Gardens

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

09/09/2020

Utah hosted the 2002 winter Olympics in the Uinta Mountain range. One Draba burkei population was found directly in the path of the proposed ski run for the Mens downhill event. To create a safe run, the construction cut into a portion of this, the largest, population of Burkes draba (Johnson 2001). These plants were removed and sent to Denver Botanic Gardens where they can now be viewed and studied by the public. Three plants are growing in the naturalistic gardens of Denver Botanic Gardens and one plant is being kept in the greenhouse.

09/09/2020

Seed germination experiments completed by Denver Botanic Gardens in 2001. Vegetative propagation of Draba burkei stored at Denver Botanic Gardens is currently being attempted.

09/09/2020

Taxonomic study of Draba maguirei and allied taxa by Dr. Michael D. Windham and Mark Beilstein (Windham 1998).

09/09/2020

Seed has been stored in the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado. The goal of the NCGRP is to preserve a collection of genetic resources to secure the biological diversity of these rare species in case of an unfortunate, catastrophic event. Since this species is so newly separated into a good species, no management plan has been developed.

09/09/2020

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

This variety is endemic to the northern Wasatch Range in Box Elder, Cache, and Weber counties of Utah. About 15 known occurrences. The primary threat is invasive species.?