Stipa is a genus of 141 species[ of large Perennial plant hermaphrodite collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, which also contains many species formerly assigned to Stipa, which have since been reclassified into new genera.
]
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 . One former species, esparto grass ( Macrochloa tenacissima), is used for and extensively in paper making.
It is a coarse grass with inrolled leaves and a panicle patterned inflorescence.
Ecology
Species of the genus Stipa can occur in [Elgaily Osman Ahmed, 1983] or in savanna . 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.[Ecological Society of America, 1921] In some areas of the western United States grasses of the genus Stipa form a significant part of the understory of Blue Oak savannas, and were even a more important element before the invasion of many European grasses.[*C. Michael Hogan, 2008]
Species
141 species are currently accepted.[
]
Formerly placed here
-
Achnatherum calamagrostis (L.) P.Beauv. (as S. calamagrostis (L.) Wahlenb.)
-
Achnatherum robustum (Vasey) Barkworth (as S. robusta (Vasey) Scribn.)
-
Anemanthele lessoniana (as Stipa arundinacea Hook.f.)
-
Celtica gigantea (Link) F. M. Vazquez & Barkworth (as S. gigantea Link)
-
Eriocoma arida (as Stipa arida and S. mormonum )
-
Eriocoma hymenoides (as S. hymenoides )
-
Hesperostipa comata (as Stipa comata )
-
Hesperostipa spartea (as Stipa spartea Trin.)
-
Jarava ichu Ruiz & Pav. (as S. ichu (Ruiz & Pav.) Kunth)
-
Esparto (Loefl. ex L.) Kunth (as S. tenacissima Loefl. ex L.)
-
Nassella hyalina (as Stipa hyalina and S. avenacea )
-
Nassella leucotricha (Trin. & Rupr.) R.W.Pohl (as S. leucotricha Trin. & Rupr.)
-
Nassella mexicana (as Stipa mexicana )
-
Nassella pulchra (Hitchc.) Barkworth (as S. pulchra Hitchc.)
-
Nassella viridula (as S. viridula Trin.)
-
Neotrinia splendens (Trin.) M.Nobis, P.D.Gudkova & A.Nowak (as S. splendens Trin.)
-
Pappostipa speciosa (as Stipa speciosa )
-
Patis coreana (as Stipa coreana Honda) – Korean needlegrass
-
Piptochaetium avenaceum (as Stipa avenacea )
-
Piptochaetium virescens (as Stipa virescens and S. avenacea )
-
Stipellula capensis (as Stipa capensis )
See also
External links
