Stipa capillata

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Stipa capillata
Stipa capillata - Berlin Botanical Garden - IMG 8582.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Stipa
Species:
S. capillata
Binomial name
Stipa capillata
L.
Synonyms
  • Aristida avenaceaHoutt.
  • Stipa capillarisGromov ex Trautv.
  • Stipa capillata var. orthopogonAsch. & Graebn.
  • Stipa capillata f. orthopogon(Asch. & Graebn.) Morariu
  • Stipa capillata var. rumelicaVelen.
  • Stipa capillata f. ulopogon(Asch. & Graebn.) Morariu
  • Stipa capillata var. ulopogonAsch. & Graebn.
  • Stipa erectaTrin.
  • Stipa junceaLam.
  • Stipa juncea var. cabanasiiF.M.Vázquez & Devesa
  • Stipa lagascaeGuss.
  • Stipa thessalaHausskn.
  • Stipa ucranicaRoem. & Schult.
  • Stipa ukranensisLam.

Stipa capillata L. [1] is a perennial bunchgrass species in the family Poaceae, native to Europe and Asia.

Contents

S. capillata is a tall steppe grass characterized by its fine, convolute leaves and long, roughened awns. It typically grows in dry, open habitats and is easily recognized by its delicate panicles and glumes that tapers gradually to a narrow tip (attenuate).

Description

Stems reach 20–70(–100) cm in height, with convolute leaves. The lower leaf surface is glabrous but often roughened (tuberculate‑scabrid), while the upper surface bears short hairs up to 6 mm. Leaf sheaths are smooth and longer than the internodes; ligules measure 1–2(–3) mm on basal leaves and 15–20 mm on upper leaves. The panicle is lax with numerous spikelets. Glumes are 25–35 mm and long‑attenuate, lemmas 10–12(–14) mm with a ventral line of hairs reaching the awn base, and awns 12–18(–23) cm, slightly roughened (scabrid). [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

Stipa capillata is native to southern, south‑central, and southeastern Europe, extending eastward into Russia, Central Asia, and parts of East Asia. It also occurs in the Middle East and western Himalayas. The species has been introduced into the Baltic States. [4] The distribution is summarized in the table below.

Detailed distribution by region and status
StatusRegionCountries / Areas
NativeEuropeAlbania; Austria; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Slovakia; France; Germany; Greece (including Crete); Hungary; Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily); Poland; Romania; Spain; Switzerland; Ukraine; European Türkiye (East Thrace); Crimea (Ukraine); NW Balkan Peninsula (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro)
NativeRussia (European & Caucasus)Central European Russia; East European Russia; South European Russia; North Caucasus; Transcaucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
NativeRussia (Siberia & Far East)Altai Republic; Buryatia; Chita (Zabaykalsky Krai); Irkutsk Oblast; Krasnoyarsk Krai; Tuva Republic; Yakutia (Sakha Republic); West Siberia
NativeCentral AsiaKazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan
NativeEast AsiaMongolia; China (North-Central, Xinjiang)
NativeMiddle East & South AsiaIran; Pakistan; West Himalaya (India, Pakistan)
IntroducedBaltic StatesEstonia; Latvia; Lithuania

References

  1. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1762). Species Plantarum, ed. 2, vol. 1. Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 116. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  2. ↑ Tutín, T. G.; Heywood, V. H.; Burges, N. A.; Moore, D. M.; Valentine, D. H.; Walters, S. M.; Webb, D. A., eds. (3 April 1980). Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 250. ISBN   0-521-20108-X.
  3. ↑ "Stipa capillata L." GrassBase – The Online World Grass Flora. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Stipa capillata L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
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