The genus Stipa L. comprises over 150 species, all native to the Old World, where they grow in warm temperate regions throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is one of the largest genera in the family Poaceae in Middle Asia, where one of its diversity hotspots is located. However, identification of Middle Asian Stipa species is difficult because of the lack of new, comprehensive taxonomic studies including all of the species recorded in the region. We present a critical review of the Mid-Asian representatives of Stipa, together with an identification key and taxonomic listing. We relied on both published and unpublished information for the taxa involved, many of which are poorly known. For each taxon, we present a taxonomic and nomenclatural overview, habitat preferences, distribution, altitudinal range, and additional notes as deemed appropriate. We describe four new nothospecies: S. ×balkanabatica M. Nobis & P. D. Gudkova, S. ×dzungarica M. Nobis, S. ×pseudomacroglossa M. Nobis, S. ×subdrobovii M. Nobis & A. Nowak, one subspecies S. caucasica Schmalh. subsp. nikolai M. Nobis, A. Nobis & A. Nowak, and eight varieties: S. araxensis Grossh. var. mikojanovica M. Nobis, S. caucasica var. fanica M. Nobis, P. D. Gudkova & A. Nowak, S. drobovii (Tzvelev) Czerep. var. jarmica M. Nobis, S. drobovii var. persicorum M. Nobis, S. glareosa P. A. Smirn. var. nemegetica M. Nobis, S. kirghisorum P. A. Smirn. var. balkhashensis M. Nobis & P. D. Gudkova, S. richteriana Kar. & Kir. var. hirtifolia M. Nobis & A. Nowak, and S. ×subdrobovii var. pubescens M. Nobis & A. Nowak. Additionally, 12 new combinations, Achnatherum haussknechtii (Boiss.) M. Nobis, A. mandavillei (Freitag) M. Nobis, A. parviflorum (Desf.) M. Nobis, Neotrinia chitralensis (Bor) M. Nobis, S. badachschanica Roshev. var. pamirica (Roshev.) M. Nobis, S. borysthenica Klokov ex Prokudin var. anomala (P. A. Smirn.) M. Nobis, S. holosericea Trin. var. transcaucasica (Grossh.) M. Nobis, S. kirghisorum P. A. Smirn. var. ikonnikovii (Tzvelev) M. Nobis, S. macroglossa P. A. Smirn. var. kazachstanica (Kotuchov) M. Nobis, S. macroglossa var. kungeica (Golosk.) M. Nobis, S. richteriana var. jagnobica (Ovcz. & Czukav.) M. Nobis & A. Nowak, and S. zalesskii Wilensky var. turcomanica (P. A. Smirn.) M. Nobis are proposed, and the lectotypes for 14 taxa (S. arabica Trin. & Rupr., S. bungeana Trin. ex Bunge, S. caspia K. Koch, S. ×consanguinea Trin. & Rupr., S. effusa Mez, S. ×heptapotamica Golosk., S. jacquemontii Jaub. & Spach., S. kungeica Golosk., S. margelanica P. A. Smirn., S. richteriana, S. rubentiformis P. A. Smirn., S. sareptana A. K. Becker, S. tibetica Mez, and Timouria saposhnikovii Roshev.) are designated. In Middle Asia the genus Stipa comprises 98 taxa, including 72 species, four subspecies, and 22 varieties. Of the 72 species of feather grasses, 23 are of hybrid origin (nothospecies). In Middle Asia, feather grasses can be found at elevations from (0 to)300 to 4500(to 5000) m, but most are montane species. The greatest species richness is observed at altitudes between 1000 and 2500 m. Nineteen species grow above 3000 m, but only nine above 4000 m. The number of taxa (species and subspecies) growing in each country also varies considerably, with the highest noted in Kazakhstan (42), Tajikistan (40), and Kyrgyzstan (35). Of the 76 taxa of Stipa (species and subspecies) recorded in Middle Asia, 41 are confined to the region, with some being known only from a single country or mountain range. Distribution maps of selected species are provided.

Here we present an updated checklist of the genus Festuca in the Altai Mountains (AM). The study was carried out on the abundant herbarium material and considered the latest published phylogenetic analyses. Festuca was revised within the scope of the fine-leaved group (clade) with two sections, sect. Aulaxyper and sect. Festuca. Two species, namely F. richardsonii and F. lenensis, were previously misidentified and are not present in the AM. Festuca brevissima is a new record for the Russian part of the AM and for the flora of Mongolia. In total, our revision shows that 17 species of fine-leaved fescues are present in the area of AM. In this paper, we provide a key to species identification, as well as illustrations of plants, habits, leaves, spikelets, and glumes. Information on nomenclature types, synonymy, flowering period, chromosome numbers, habitats, and general distribution along with distribution maps of the particular species within the AM are included.

Stipa purpurea is a high-alpine species that occurs in cryophilous steppes, semi-deserts and stony slopes, from the Tian Shan and Pamirian Plateau through Qinghai-Xizang Plateau to the Himalayas and is characterised by a great morphological variability. During the revision of specimens of the taxon, we observed that the pattern of this variability is linked to the geographical distribution of the specimens. Numerical analyses (PCA and UPGMA) revealed three groups of OTUs corresponding to three morphotypes within the S. purpurea complex. A set of macro- and micromorphological characters, supported by a map of general distributional ranges, are presented to distinguish each of the three taxa within the complex and we reassess the status of Lasiagrostis tremula described by Ruprecht in 1869. As a result, Stipa tremula, S. purpurea and S. arenosa were distinguished within the complex. The intermediate characters of S. arenosa may suggest its putative hybrid origin (S. tremula × S. purpurea), whereas the presence of extremely long florets may be an expression of the gigas effect. We propose two new combinations (S. tremula and S. arenosa), describe a new nothospecies (S. × ladakhensis) that originated from hybridisation between S. klimesii and S. purpurea s.l. and designate the lectotype for Ptilagrostis semenovii. An identification key and detailed morphological description of species from the S. purpurea complex are also presented.

«Turczaninowia» Научные журналы Алтайского государственного университета Научные журналы АлтГУ

In Nepal the Stipeae consists of six genera: Achnatherum, Orthoraphium, Piptatherum, Ptilagrostis, Stipa, Trikeraia, and 15 species. Two new combinations, Ptilagrostis duthiei (Hook. f.) M.Nobis & P.D.Gudkova and Achnatherum staintonii (Bor) M.Nobis & P.D.Gudkova, are proposed, and new country records for Stipa klimesii, Ptilagrostis dichotoma, Ptilagrostis concinna and Achnatherum jacquemontii are reported. The records of Stipa roborowskyi, S. przewalskyi, S. capillata, S. consanguinea, S. mongholica, and S. sibirica, previously thought to occur in Nepal were based on misidentifications, and these have been excluded from the list of Nepalese Stipeae. We present keys for the identification of genera and species, and a checklist including information on nomenclatural types, regional and national distribution, and habitat. A lectotype is designated for Stipa brandisii Mez.