Desert grass

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Desert grass

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aristida oranensis
• Aristida plumosa subsp. szovitsiana
• Arthratherum plumosum
• Aristida brachypoda
• Aristida plumosa var. aethiopica
• Aristida plumosa var. alexandrina
• Aristida plumosa var. australis
• Aristida plumosa var. szovitsiana
• Aristida plumosa var. seminuda
• Stipagrostis plumosa subsp. oranensis
• Aristida plumosa var. superciliata
• Aristida plumosa var. syrtica
• Aristida plumosa
• Aristida plumosa subsp. kyzylkumica
• Aristida plumosa subsp. lanuginosa
• Aristida plumosa var. berberica
• Aristida plumosa var. brachypoda
• Aristida plumosa var. eichwaldiana
• Aristida plumosa var. floccosa
• Aristida plumosa var. haussknechtii
• Aristida plumosa var. intermedia
• Aristida plumosa var. lanuginosa
• Aristida plumosa var. oranensis
• Arthratherum plumosum subsp. kyzylkumicum
• Arthratherum plumosum subsp. szovitsianum
• Arthratherum plumosum var. floccosum
• Stipagrostis brachypoda
• Stipagrostis oranensis
• Stipagrostis fallax
• Stipagrostis plumosa subsp. kyzylkumica
• Stipagrostis plumosa subsp. seminuda
• Stipagrostis plumosa subsp. syrtica
• Stipagrostis plumosa subsp. szovitsiana
• Stipagrostis plumosa var. aethiopica
• Stipagrostis plumosa var. alexandrina
• Stipagrostis plumosa var. brachypoda
• Stipagrostis plumosa var. intermedia
• Stipagrostis szovitsiana

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Poales, it is classified under the family Poaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Stipagrostis, and its species name, plumosa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known scientifically as Stipagrositis plumosa, exhibits a specific distribution across the North African continent. Its presence is documented within the diverse landscapes of Algeria and Egypt. Furthermore, the species can be found growing in the territories of Libya. The geographical range also extends to the western reaches of Morocco. Finally, its habitat includes the coastal and inland regions of Tunisia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Stipagrosotis plumosa is defined by its specific topographical and substrate preferences. This species thrives within a significant altitudinal gradient, occupying an elevational range that extends from a minimum of 400 m AMSL to a maximum of 1800 m AMSL. In terms of its growing environment, the plant is specifically adapted to habitats characterized by sand, utilizing these sandy substrates as its primary medium for growth and establishment.

Elevational range max:

1800 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

400 m AMSL

Habitat :

sand

Life history

The life history of Stipagrosotis plumosa is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy, it is classified as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by the remains of previous seasons' vegetation. This hemicryptophytic nature ensures its survival and ability to regrow annually from these protected buds, supporting its long-term presence in its natural habitat.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Stipagrostis plumosa is characterized by its growth as a non-woody, graminoid herb. This plant exhibits a low-growing stature, with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.1 m to a maximum of 0.45 m. Although it displays an aquatic or semiaquatic nature, its ecological classification also encompasses terrestrial habitats. In terms of its structural habit, the species is self-supporting rather than acting as a liana or vine, and it functions as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. Furthermore, it is classified as a terrestrial species rather than an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

graminoid

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.45 m

Plant height min:

0.1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Stipagrosthis plumosa is characterized by a specific phenological cycle and highly uniform seed production. The flowering period for this species is notably concentrated, with the flowering start and flowering end both occurring in April, though the plant exhibits a variable potential for blooming across all months of the year, including January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. Following the pollination phase, the plant produces seeds that demonstrate extreme consistency in size and weight. The seed mass is entirely uniform, with a mean, maximum, and minimum value all recorded at exactly 0.00054 g, indicating a highly stabilized reproductive output in terms of individual seed mass.

Flowering time :

Apr

Seed mass mean:

0.00054 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Stipagrostis plumosa has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan

Preparations

Stipagrostis plumosa has 2 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol extract, n-hexane extract.

Methanol extract

1. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan

N-hexane extract

1. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan