Erophila verna, (L.) Chevall.

1. E. verna (L.) Chevall. , Fl. Gén. Env. Paris 2: 898 (1827)

( Draba verna L. ).

Stems solitary or several, up to 20 cm. Leaves in a basal rosette, spathulate to lanceolate, obtuse or acute, entire or distally toothed, variably clothed with branched and stellate hairs, sometimes mixed with unbranched hairs. Inflorescence racemose, initially dense, later elongating. Pedicels slender, 1-5-6 mm in flower, elongating in fruit. Sepals 1-5-2-5 mm; petals 1-5-6 mm, white or reddish. Silicula 3-25 mm, usually flat, narrowly elliptical to obovate or suborbicular, glabrous. Seeds 0-3-0-5 mm, numerous. 2n =14-64. Rocks, walls, sandy soils and disturbed ground. Throughout Europe except the arctic, northwards to 66° N. in Norway. All except Az Fa Sb.

1 Silicula not more than 5 mm, obovate or suborbicular; all stamens shorter than stigma (d) subsp. spathulata

1 Silicula often more than 5 mm, oblanceolate, elliptical or linear; longer stamens exceeding stigma

2 Leaves with many unbranched and a few branched hairs (c) subsp. praecox

2 Leaves with many stellate and branched hairs, but few or no unbranched hairs

3 Silicula oblanceolate or ±elliptical; fruiting pedicels usually more than 12 mm (a) subsp. verna

3 Silicula linear; fruiting pedicels often less than 12 mm (b) subsp. macrocarpa