Needlegrass

This is part of the widespread Stipa pennata complex, extending from W Europe to Siberia and the Himalayas, and including a number of subsidiary taxa. Stipa kirghisorum is one of the more distinctive segregates, differing from S. pennata s.s. by the longer marginal lines of hairs on the lemma and dorsal lines separate to the base. It is a common forage grass in steppe regions.

3300-3700m.

Perennial, tufted. Culms 35–60 cm tall, 4-noded. Basal leaves 2/3 to equaling length of culms; leaf sheaths longer than internodes, scabrid, lowermost with ciliate margins; leaf blades setaceous, convolute, 0.5–0.7 mm in diam., outer surface scabrid; ligule of basal leaves 1–1.5 mm, rounded, margin ciliate, of culm leaves up to 4 mm, acuminate. Panicle narrow, 10–15 cm, branches often enclosed by uppermost leaf sheath. Spikelets yellowish green; glumes subequal, lanceolate, 3.5–5 cm, apex acuminate into long fragile filiform tip; callus pungent, 2.5–4 mm; lemma 14–18 mm, hairs in longitudinal lines, marginal line terminating 1–2 mm below apex, dorsal lines separate to base, apex glabrous; awn deciduous, 16–26 cm, 2-geniculate, column smooth, glossy, 5–6 cm to first bend, 1–2 cm to second bend, bristle 12–18 cm, plumose, hairs 4–5 mm. Fl. and fr. May–Sep.

Tufted perennial 30-70 cm high. Leaf-blades involute and setaceous, up to 1.5 mm wide when flattened, scabrid on the lower (outer) surface; ligule 1.5--3.5 mm long. Panicle narrow, few-flowered, 10-21 cm long. Glumes narrowly lanceolate, long-acuminate with fragile tips, 28-40(-55) mm long, 5-nerved; lemma terete, (13-)15-18 mm long (including callus), hairy in the lower part with rows of short hairs, glabrous at the tip; callus acuminate, pungent, 2.5-4 mm long. Awn bigeniculate, articulated at the base, 18-26 cm long; column glabrous; bristle plumose with hairs 4-5 mm long.

Xinjiang [Afghanistan (Hindu Kush), Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, W Mongolia, N Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan].

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); southern Central Asia (USSR and Sinkiang).

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-August.

Rocky mountain slopes, alluvial fans, dry steppes; 300–2400 m.

Stipa pennata Linnaeus subsp. kirghisorum (P. A. Smirnov) Freitag.