Draba longisquamosa
Granite draba
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Draba longisquamosa (Granite draba) is a native California perennial in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by simple hairs and persistent petals/sepals.
Granite draba is a California native perennial found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Fresno and Tulare counties in gravelly areas at elevations of 3,000 to 3,900 meters. Flowering in July, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact clusters with 4 to 16 blooms. Growing as a tufted, scapose herb with unbranched stems 1.5 to 9 centimeters tall, it forms dense clusters with stiff simple hairs covering the entire plant. Its leaves are oblanceolate to obovate, 5 to 20 millimeters long, with entire margins and ciliate edges covered in simple hairs on both surfaces. The fruit is ovate to nearly round, 3.5 to 7 millimeters long, bearing 10 to 16 small ovoid seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; key features are simple hairs and persistent petals/sepals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly areas
Elevation: 3000-3900 m
California counties: Tulare, Inyo, Fresno, Tuolumne
Bloom period
Draba longisquamosa blooms Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Physaria: Draba has flattened pods; Physaria has inflated balloon-like pods.; vs Lepidium: Draba has flattened pods with 10+ seeds; Lepidium has flat round pods with 2 seeds per chamber.; vs Boechera: Draba pods short and broad; Boechera pods long and narrow like pencils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Draba longisquamosa native to California?
Yes. Draba longisquamosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba longisquamosa bloom?
Draba longisquamosa blooms Jul.
Where in California does Draba longisquamosa grow?
Draba longisquamosa occurs in Tulare, Inyo, Fresno, Tuolumne, at elevations of 3000-3900 m.
What plant family does Draba longisquamosa belong to?
Draba longisquamosa is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
What habitat does Draba longisquamosa grow in?
Draba longisquamosa grows in Gravelly areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.