Draba aurea Vahl ex Hornemann, Fors. Oecon. Plantel., ed. 2. 599. 1806; non K. Koch, Linnaea 19: 53. 1846. TYPE: At K 2 specimens collected by Hornemann from Greenland; and at B two sheets collected by Vahl from Greenland.

D. aureiformis Rydberg, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28 : 278. 1901; D. aurea var. aureiformis (Rydberg) O. E. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenreich IV. 105(Heft 89): 176. 1927. TYPE: U.S.A. Colorado. headwaters of Pass Creek, 2700 m, 30 June 1900, P. A. Rydberg & F. K. Vreeland 6157 (holotype, NY !).

D. aureiformis var. leiocarpa Payson & H. St. John, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 43 : 112. 1930; D. aurea var. leiocarpa (Payson & H. St. John) C. L. Hitchcock, Univ. Wash. Publ. Biol. 11 : 29. 1941. TYPE : U.S.A. Colorado, Park Co., Farnham, 11 July 1891, E. C. Smith s.n. (holotype, WS!).

D. luteola Greene, Pittonia 4: 19. 1899; D. aurea var. luteola (Greene) O. E. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenreich IV. 105(Heft 89): 177. 1927. TYPE: U.S.A. Colorado. Hindsale Co., Upper Canon of the La Plata, 10,000 ft (as 9900 ft), 13 July 1898, C. F. Baker, F. S. Earle & S.. M. Tracy 651 (holotype, NDG!; isotypes, B!, BM!, GH!, K!, 2MO!, 2NY!, RM!, UC!, US!).

D. bakeri Greene, Pl. Baker. 3: 6. 1901. TYPE : U.S.A. Colorado. Carson, 11,500 ft, 2 July 1901, C. F. Baker 316 (holotype, NDG!; isotypes, K!, MO!, NY!, US!).

D. decumbens Rydberg, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 240. 1902; D. aurea f. decumbens (Rydberg) O. E. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenreich IV. 105(Heft 89): 177. 1927. TYPE: U.S.A. Colorado. Clear Creek Co., Gray’s Peak, 1895, P. A. Rydberg s.n. (holotype, NY!).

D. maccallae Rydberg, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 241. 1902; D. henneana Schlechtendal var. maccallae (Rydberg) O. E. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenreich IV. 105(Heft 89): 276. 1927. TYPE: Canada. Alberta, valley below Mt. Aylmer, 6700 ft, 4 Aug 1899, W. C. McCalla 2267 (holotype, NY!).

D. luteola var. minganensis Victorin, Proc. & Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada ser. 3, 22, Sect. 5: 174. 1929; D. minganensis (Victorin) Fernald, Rhodora 36: 302. 1934. TYPE: Canada. Québec. Archipel de Mingan : Ile Nue, “sur la Pointe entre la petite Isle et La Montagnaise,” 29 July 1926, Marie-Victorin & Rolland-Germain 24828 (holotype, ; isotypes, GH!, 2K!, MO!, NY!, RM!, US!).

D. surculifera A. Nelson, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26 : 237. 1899; D. aurea f. surculifera (A. Nelson) O. E. Schulz in Engler, Pflanzenreich IV. 105(Heft 89): 177. 1927. TYPE: U.S.A. Wyoming. Albany Co.: La Plata Mines, Medicine Bow Mts., 24 Aug 1898, Elias Nelson 5125 (holotype, RM!; isotytpes, B!, GH!, MO!, NY!, US!).

D. uber A. Nelson, Bot. Gaz. 34 : 366. 1902. TYPE: U.S.A. Wyoming. Albany Co., Telephone Mines, below alpine snowbanks, 1 Aug 1900, Aven Nelson 7875 (holotype, RM!; isotypes, B!, GH!, K!, MO!, NY!, ORE, US!).

     Herbs perennial, not cespitose, with simple or branched caudex. Stems (5–)10–35(–52) cm, 1 or several from base, sometimes branched above, pubescent throughout with a mixture of non-crisped, simple trichomes 0.4–1.3 mm and 3–6-rayed trichomes 0.1–0.5 mm. Basal leaves rosulate, oblanceolate to obovate, (0.4–)1–3.7(–5) cm × (1–)2–7(–10) mm, entire or denticulate; both surfaces pubescent with stalked, (2–)4–7(–8)-rayed trichomes 0.2–0.5(–0.6) mm; petiole distinct or obscure, ciliate with simple trichomes to 0.8 mm; cauline leaves of flowering stems 5–20(–26), oblong to lanceolate or ovate, entire or dentate, sessile, pubescent as basal leaves, sometimes adaxially with simple trichomes. Racemes bracteate along lowermost 1–12(–17) flowers, very rarely ebracteate, (10–)18–52(–72)-flowered, elongated in fruit; rachis pubescent as stem, not flexuous; lowermost fruiting pedicels 3–13(–20) mm, divaricate-ascending to ascending or suberect, straight, pubescent as stem. Flowers: sepals green or yellowish, oblong, 2.2–3 mm, pubescent with simple and branched trichomes; petals yellow, oblanceolate, 3.5–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm; anthers ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm. Fruits lanceolate, to linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong, (6–)9–14(–17) × 2–3.5 mm, flattened, slightly twisted or plane, often subappressed to rachis, pubescent with a mixture of simple and short-stalked, 2(–4)-rayed trichomes 0.05–0.3 mm; style 0.5–1.2(–1.5) mm; ovules and seeds 28–38(–44) per fruit. Seeds oblong, flattened, 0.9–1.3 × 0.5–0.7 mm, wingless. 2n = 74.

Flowering: Jun–Aug.

Habitat: rock outcrops, talus, damp gullies and meadows, subalpine conifer woodlands, alpine slopes and turf, tundra, road banks, and river gravel.

Elevation: 750–4200 m (near sea level in Greenland).

Distributio: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, Newfoundland,  Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Greenland, United States (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).