Draba monoensis
White mountains draba, White Mountains Draba
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Draba monoensis (White mountains draba) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family.
White mountains draba is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern White Mountains of Mono County in moist gravel and rock crevices at elevations of 3,600 to 4,000 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces delicate white flowers less than 2 millimeters long with petals approximately 0.5 to 0.6 millimeters wide. Growing with extremely short stems only 1 to 4 centimeters tall, it forms compact cushion-like clusters with wavy-haired leaves. Its narrow oblanceolate leaves measure 5 to 16 millimeters long, covered with simple and two-rayed hairs and sometimes minutely toothed near the tip. The tiny fruit is ovoid to elliptical, measuring 3 to 5 millimeters long and slightly inflated at the base.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species; geographically isolated
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist gravel, rock crevices
Elevation: 3600-4000 m
California counties: Tulare, Mono
Bloom period
Draba monoensis blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 monoensis native to California?
Yes. Draba monoensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba monoensis bloom?
Draba monoensis blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Draba monoensis grow?
Draba monoensis occurs in Tulare, Mono, at elevations of 3600-4000 m.
What plant family does Draba monoensis belong to?
Draba monoensis is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
Is Draba monoensis rare or endangered?
Draba monoensis carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.