Draba aureola S. Watson, Bot. Calif. 2: 430. 1880. TYPE. U.S.A. California. Lassen’s Peak, July 1879, R. M. Austin s.n. (lectotype, designated by Hitchcock (1941), GH!).

Draba aureola var. paniculata L. F. Henderson, Rhodora 33: 204. 1931. TYPE: U.S.A. Oregon, North Sister Mt., L. F. Henderson 13494 (holotype, ORE).

     Herbs short-lived perennial; caudex simple or few branched, poorly developed, with persistent, dry leaves of previous seasons. Stems 2.5–15 cm, branched or not, hirsute throughout with simple and long-stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes 0.2–1.5 mm. Basal leaves rosulate, numerous, forming dense clusters, sessile, oblanceolate to linear, (0.7–)1–2.5(–3.2) cm × 2–3.5(–5) mm, entire; abaxial surfaces densely hirsute with stalked, 3–5-rayed trichomes 0.1–0.5 mm; adaxial surfaces with simple and long-stalked, 2-rayed trichomes to 1 mm mixed with fewer, smaller, 3–5-rayed trichomes; margin ciliate with simple and 2-rayed trichomes 0.5–1.5 mm; cauline leaves of flowering stems 5–33, oblong to linear, entire, sessile, pubescent as basal leaves. Racemes ebracteate or lowermost 1–9 flowers bracteate, 12–83-flowered, slightly elongated or not in fruit; rachis hirsute as stem, not flexuous; lowermost fruiting pedicels (3–)5–12(–19) mm, horizontal to divaricate, straight or rarely curved upward, hirsute as stem. Flowers: sepals ovate, 2.5–4 mm, glabrous; petals bright yellow, linear to linear-oblanceolate, 4–6 × 0.5–1(–1.2) mm; anthers narrowly oblong, 0.8–1 mm. Fruits oblong or rarely oblong-ovate, (6–)9–14(–16) × 3–5 mm, flattened, not twisted, pubescent with stalked, 2–4-rayed trichomes 0.07–0.5 mm; style (0.6–)1–1.6(–2) mm; ovules and seeds 10–20 per fruit. Seeds oblong, flattened, 1.4–1.9 × 0.8–1.1 mm, wingless. 2n = 20.

Flowering: Jul–Aug.

Habitat: open conifer forest, alpine meadows and moraines, and talus slopes.

Elevation: 2250–3200 m.

Distribution: United States (California, Oregon, Washington).