| Stipa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mediterranean needle-grass, Stipa capensis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Supertribe: | Stipodae |
| Tribe: | Stipeae |
| Genus: | Stipa L.[1] |
| Species | |
|
Some 300, see text. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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, 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 ornamental plants. One former species, esparto grass (Macrochloa tenacissima), is used for crafts and extensively in paper making.
It is a coarse grass with inrolled leaves and a panicle patterned inflorescence.[2]
- ^ a b "Genus: Stipa L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-09-14. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ^ Morley, Thomas (1966). Spring Flora of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Press. p. 47.