Poaceae
Stipa

Stipa nitens (Ball) Ball

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 16: 712 (1878)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Morocco. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 20-40 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; conduplicate, or convolute; 5-15 cm long; 0.5-1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; pungent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; linear; 7-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3 -nate; 1-3 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 17 mm long; 1.3 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 13 mm long; 2.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 5 mm long; coriaceous; light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; twisted together; 60-100 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirsute. Palea linear; 2.2 mm long; membranous; 2 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; 1 mm long. Anthers 3; 4 mm long; yellow; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 4.5 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: north.
Reference
Stipeae. Fl Afr N 1994.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0