Taxon Report

Draba asterophora Pays. var. asterophora

Tahoe draba

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Draba asterophora var. asterophora, commonly known as Tahoe draba, is a perennial herb in the Brassicaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, and Subalpine coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2500 to 3505 meters. Draba asterophora var. asterophora is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Draba asterophora Pays. var. asterophora
Common Name:	Tahoe draba
Family:	Brassicaceae
Element Code:	PDBRA110D1
USDA Plants Symbol:	DRASA2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug(Sep)	Jul-Aug(Sep)
Elevation:	2500-3505 (8205-11500)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field, Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2T2?
State Rank:	S2?
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1B.3 to 1B.2 on 2013-03-07

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	11
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	6
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alpine (ALP), El Dorado (ELD), Mono (MNO), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Caples Lake (3812061), Carson Pass (3811968), Disaster Peak (3811946), Freel Peak (3811978), Koip Peak (3711972), Lost Cannon Peak (3811945), Mount Dana (3711982), South Lake Tahoe (3811988), Woodfords (3811977)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	36 %
Recreational use (non-ORV)	4	36%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	18%
ORV activity	2	18%
Other	2	18%
Pollution	1	9%
Development	1	9%
Erosion/runoff	1	9%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	9%

Notes



Threatened by development and recreational activities. On watch list in NV. Possibly distinct from NV plants; needs further study. A synonym of D. asterophora in TJM 2. See American Journal of Botany 4:263 (1917) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Deletion on 2013-03-07

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 October 2025].