Stipa

Needle Grasses

Scientific classification
<tr valign=top><td>Kingdom:</td><td>Plantae
</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Division:</td><td>Magnoliophyta
</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Class:</td><td>Liliopsida
</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Order:</td><td>Poales
</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Family:</td><td>Poaceae
</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Genus:</td><td>Stipa
L.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="lightgreen"><th>
Species
</th></tr>
  • Stipa arundinacea
  • Stipa avenacea - Black Oat Grass
  • Stipa brachytricha - Korean Feather Grass
  • Stipa calamagrostis - Spear Grass
  • Stipa canadensis
  • Stipa capillata
  • Stipa comata
  • Stipa gigantea - Giant Feather Grass
  • Stipa joannis
  • Stipa mollis
  • Stipa pennata - Feather Grass
  • Stipa pulchra - Purple Stipa
  • Stipa robusta - Sleepy Grass
  • Stipa spartea - Porcupine Grass
  • Stipa splendens
  • Stipa tenacissima - Esparto Grass
  • Stipa viridula

Stipa is a genus of around 300 large perennial hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as Needle grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae.

One species, Esparto grass, Stipa tenacissima, is used extensively in paper making. Several species such as Stipa brachytricha, S. arundinacea, S. splendens, S. calamagrostis, S. gigantea and S. pulchra are used as ornamental plants. Many species are also important livestock forage.