Stipa

Stipa
Stipa
Green needle grass,
Stipa viridula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Tribe: Stipeae
Genus: Stipa
L.[1]
Species

Some 300, see text.
Synonyms

Lasiagrostis Link
Orthoraphium Nees
Patis Ohwi
Sparteum P.Beauv., nom. inval.
Stupa Asch., orth. var.
Timouria Roshev.
Trichosantha Steud., nom. inval.[1]

This article is about a type of grass. For Speech Transmission Index for Public Address Systems, see Speech transmission index. For the Italian aircraft designer, see Luigi Stipa. For the aircraft built by Caproni, see Stipa-Caproni.


Stipa is a genus of around 300 large perennial hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae.

Many species are important forage crops. Several species such as Stipa brachytricha, S. arundinacea, S. splendens, S. calamagrostis, S. gigantea and S. pulchra are used as ornamental plants. One species, esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima), is used for crafts and extensively in paper making.

Contents

Ecology

Species of the genus Stipa can occur in grasslands[2] or in savanna habitats. Certain specific prairie plant associations are dominated by grasses of the genus Stipa, which genus often lends its name to the terminology of some prairie types.[3] In some areas of the western USA grasses of the genus Stipa form a significant part of the understory of Blue Oak savannas, and were even a more important element prehistorically before the invasion of many European grasses.[4]

Selected species

  • Stipa arundinacea
  • Stipa avenacea – black oat grass
  • Stipa baicalensis Roshev.
  • Stipa barbata Desf.
  • Stipa bavarica
  • Stipa borysthenica
  • Stipa brachytricha – Korean feather grass
  • Stipa canadensis
  • Stipa capensis
  • Stipa capillata L.
  • Stipa comata
  • Stipa grandis P.A.Smirn.
  • Stipa joannis Čelak.
  • Stipa leptogluma
  • Stipa mexicana
  • Stipa milleana
  • Stipa mollis
  • Stipa pennata L. – feather grass
  • Stipa spartea – porcupine grass
  • Stipa tirsa Steven
  • Stipa tulcanensis
  • Stipa viridula – green needle grass[5]

Formerly placed here

  • Achnatherum aridum (as S. arida)
  • Achnatherum calamagrostis (L.) P.Beauv. (as S. calamagrostis (L.) Wahlenb.)
  • Achnatherum robustum (Vasey) Barkworth (as S. robusta (Vasey) Scribn.)
  • Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski (as S. splendens Trin.)
  • Celtica gigantea (Link) F. M. Vazquez & Barkworth (as S. gigantea Link)
  • Jarava ichu Ruiz & Pav. (as S. ichu (Ruiz & Pav.) Kunth)
  • Macrochloa tenacissima (Loefl. ex L.) Kunth (as S. tenacissima Loefl. ex L.)
  • Nassella leucotricha (Trin. & Rupr.) R.W.Pohl (as S. leucotricha Trin. & Rupr.)
  • Nassella pulchra (Hitchc.) Barkworth (as S. pulchra Hitchc.)
  • Oryzopsis hymenoides (as S. hymenoides)[5]

See also

References

  • Elgaily Osman Ahmed (1983) Fire Ecology of Stipa Pulchra in California Annual Grassland, published by University of California, 128 pages
  • Ecological Society of America (1921) Ecology, published by Ecological Society of America, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, v.2
  • C. Michael Hogan (2008) Blue Oak: Quercus douglasii, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg

Line notes

  1. ^ a b "Genus: Stipa L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-09-14. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11604. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  2. ^ Elgaily Osman Ahmed, 1983
  3. ^ Ecological Society of America, 1921
  4. ^ *C. Michael Hogan, 2008
  5. ^ a b "GRIN Species Records of Stipa". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?11604. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 


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