Draba subumbellata
Mound draba
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Draba subumbellata (Mound draba) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by umbel-like inflorescence and inflated fruits.
Mound draba is a native perennial herb ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the southern Sierra Nevada eastern slopes, northwestern Inyo County, and northern White and Inyo Mountains in Mono County, inhabiting rocky talus areas at elevations of 3,300 to 4,100 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact umbel-like clusters with 2 to 5 blooms. Growing as a tufted, cushion-forming plant with tiny unbranched stems just 1 to 2.5 centimeters tall, it forms dense gray-haired, tree-like clumps with multiple branching rays. Its leaves are small, measuring 1.5 to 4 millimeters long, obovate to widely oblong, and covered in short, tree-like hairs that give the plant a distinctive silvery-gray appearance. The fruit is a small, inflated ovoid pod 2 to 5 millimeters long, bearing 6 to 12 oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; key features are umbel-like inflorescence and inflated fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Talus, among rocks
Elevation: 3300-4100 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono
Bloom period
Draba subumbellata blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 subumbellata native to California?
Yes. Draba subumbellata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba subumbellata bloom?
Draba subumbellata blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Draba subumbellata grow?
Draba subumbellata occurs in Inyo, Mono, at elevations of 3300-4100 m.
What plant family does Draba subumbellata belong to?
Draba subumbellata is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
Is Draba subumbellata rare or endangered?
Draba subumbellata carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Draba verna — Spring draba
- Draba albertina — Alaska whitlow grass
- Draba asterophora — Lake tahoe draba
- Draba asterophora var. asterophora — Tahoe draba
- Draba asterophora var. macrocarpa — Cup Lake draba
- Draba aureola — Golden alpine draba
- Eruca sp. — Garden-rocket
- Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa
- Erucastrum gallicum — Common dogmustard
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.