They are best separated by noting the overall color:  Because of an abundance of hairs, D. aurea tends to be gray/green.  D. spectabilis tends to be bright green because it is glabrous (smooth, not hairy) or has fewer and less forked hairs.  Seeing the hairs is difficult and requires a steady hand, a minimum of a 10 power hand lens, and preferably a microscope.  

There are several other distinguishing characteristics which can be observed more easily: 

1) D. aurea seed pods are hairy and often twisted and the seed pod stems are short; seed pods of D. spectabilis are glabrous and straight (but can be twisted) and its stems are long.  

2) The sepals of D. aurea are hairy and green with pale margins; those of D. spectabilis are glabrous and yellow.

Repeated study of the plants' details eventually leads to an ability to recognize them even without using a hand lens.

The Draba genus was named by Linnaeus in 1753.  "Draba", Greek for "acrid", was a name applied to similar Mustards known to the Greeks thousands of years ago. The Draba genus is large and identifying species is difficult.

     See also Draba cuneifolia and Noccaea montana.

Draba aurea (Golden Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.

Both Drabas shown on this page are slender and lanky with a tuft of many basal leaves and few, somewhat clasping, nearly vertical stem leaves.  Leaves can vary considerably in length, width, hairiness, and smoothness of edges (ranging from smooth to dentate).  Both often grow in bright, attractive masses.

Draba aurea was named by Martin Vahl in 1806 from a specimen collected in Greenland.  "Aurea" is Latin for "golden".

Draba aurea (Golden Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Cinnamon Pass, August 1, 2007.

Draba aurea leaves range from smooth margined to dentate but either way they are usually quite hairy.  In this photograph the hairs are especially noticeable on the edges of the leaves. 

Draba aurea (Golden Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.

The sepals of D. aurea are hairy and green with pale margins.  

Draba aurea (Golden Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.

Draba aurea leaves are usually heavily clothed in numerous straight and branched hairs. 

Draba spectabilis (Showy Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Horse Creek Trail, June 6, 2004.

Leaves in the basal rosette of both Drabas shown on this page are generally long and narrow, those on the stem are wedge-shaped.  Basal and stem leaves can have petioles or be sessile and can have teeth or be smooth margined.  (The toothed leaves against the bottom of the ruler are not from Draba spectabilis; they are the leaves of Fragaria virginiana, Wild Strawberry.)

Draba spectabilis was named by Edward Greene in 1899 from a specimen collected by C. F. Baker in the La Plata Mountains near Mancos, Colorado in 1898.

Draba spectabilis (Showy Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Horse Creek Trail, June 6, 2004.

The vivid golden yellows of both Drabas shown on this page and the numerous clusters of flowers make the plants easy to spot.  

Draba spectabilis (Showy Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.

These seed pod stems are about twice as long as those of D. aurea.

Draba spectabilis (Showy Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.

Leaves appear shiny green because they are nearly glabrous, but as the next photograph shows, they do have some hairs.  The underside of the leaves is often, in fact, moderately covered in branched hairs.

Draba spectabilis (Showy Draba)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Montane, subalpine, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lake Hope Trail, July 15, 2008.