Weber's Whitlow-grass / Center For Plant Conservation
Search / Plant Profile / Draba weberi
Plant Profile

Weber's Whitlow-grass (Draba weberi)

  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: N/A
  • Family: Brassicaceae
  • State: CO
  • Nature Serve ID: 150672
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb
  • Date Inducted in National Collection:
Description:

A perennial herb with erect stems about 2-10 cm long, and with yellow flowers in bloom in June and July. Draba weberi may differ from other species in its wetter habitat of stream edges, but the possibility that it can survive in less mesic areas cannot be ruled out.

Where is Weber's Whitlow-grass (Draba weberi) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Amid rocks along streamlets near timberline (about 3500 m elevation) (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2010).The streamside habitat of Draba weberi is wetter than that reported for nearby related Draba species. Plants occupy crevices among streamside rocks below the dam. This species was not collected before the construction of the dam, so it is impossible to know whether its current habitat is equivalent to its pre-dam environment, or indeed representative of its optimal habitat. Reported population numbers are small, and there is additional unoccupied suitable habitat along the drainage for about 1/2 mile below the dam, as well as potentially similar habitat available in nearby drainages of the Tenmile Range (Olson personal communication 2004).

Distribution:

Known from the type locality in Summit County, Colorado and recently discovered at one site in Park County, Colorado (J. Handwerk, pers. comm., 2011).

States & Provinces:

Weber's Whitlow-grass can be found in Colorado

Which CPC Partners conserve Weber's Whitlow-grass (Draba weberi)?

  • 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
      • Orthodox Seed Banking

    Seed collection and storage

    • 09/09/2020
      • Seed Collection

    Seed collection and storage

    Nature Serve Biotics
    • 05/02/2017

    An extremely restricted Colorado endemic, known only from four populations totaling perhaps 300 individuals. Threats include hydrologic alterations, trampling by recreationist's, road and dam construction and maintenance, mining, spread of exotic species, and global climate change.

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    Road and dam construction and maintenance are considered to be the primary threat to the species at this time (Rondeau et al. 2011). At the type locality, the population depends on water flowing from an outflow pipe below a dam that enters a relatively na

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    There are 2 documented occurrences (EO data in the NatureServe central database as of July 2011; J. Handwerk, pers. comm., 2011).

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    Unknown

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    No management plans or conservation strategies have been developed for D. weberi, and the single known location does not have any protective designation.

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    The most pressing need is to locate additional populations of Draba weberi, if any exist. If additional populations of D. weberi are located, especially on National Forest System land, our knowledge of conditions appropriate for conserving the species will be enhanced. Until additional occurrences are located, monitoring of the single known population is also very important. Given the small number of known individuals, there is insufficient material to allow manipulative investigations of Draba weberis life cycle, habitat relations, population trends, and response to disturbance. Likewise, metapopulation dynamics are irrelevant if this is the only population. However, these topics are essentially completely unexplored, and observations that would add to our knowledge on any of these subjects would be helpful in determining the effects of land management practices on the survival and persistence of the species and in formulating management and conservation plans.

    Price & Rollins, Mary VB Goshorn
    • 01/01/2010

    Seed collection and storage

    MORE

    Be the first to post an update!

    Nomenclature
    Taxon Draba weberi
    Authority R.A. Price & Rollins
    Family Brassicaceae
    CPC Number 44486
    ITIS 506951
    USDA DRWE
    Duration Perennial
    Common Names Weber's Whitlow grass | Weber whitlowgrass | Weber's draba
    Associated Scientific Names Draba weberi
    Distribution Known from the type locality in Summit County, Colorado and recently discovered at one site in Park County, Colorado (J. Handwerk, pers. comm., 2011).
    State Rank
    State State Rank
    Colorado S1
    Ecological Relationships

    Photos

    Donate to CPC to Save this Species

    CPC secures rare plants for future generations by coordinating on-the-ground conservation and training the next generation of plant conservation professionals. Donate today to help save rare plants from extinction.

    Donate Today