Stipa pulcherrima K. Koch

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inUncategorized

Taxonomy: Fam. Poaceae// Genus: Stipa// Species: Stipa pulcherrima K. Koch.

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Martinovský in Tutin et al. (1980) and Vukićević in Josifović (1976).

Lifeform: Perennial plant. Hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from France to West Siberia and Iran according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Clearings of forests in rocky terrains.

Recorded in the rocky terrain above the Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin).

Flowering period: Late spring: MAY.

Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – awns. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – awns. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – awns. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – awns. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – awn. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – stem with leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – adaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – abaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf sheath and ligule. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf sheath and ligule. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf sheath and ligule. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf sheath and ligule. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf sheath and ligule. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – plant base. Osogovo – rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin), 03.05.2026. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Scaled images. Specimen from the rocky terrain above Eshterec Stream (Zletovska River basin). Date: 03.05.2026.

Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – habit. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – inflorescence and spikelets. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – spikelets structure. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – florets. Scale in cm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – lemma with ventral (v) and dorsal (d) line of hairs. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – lemma with ventral (v) and dorsal (d) line of hairs, column (c) and seta (s) of awn of lemma. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf width and ligule of flowering stem. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Stipa pulcherrima – leaf width and ligule of vegetative stem. Scale in mm. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Martinovský, J. O. 1980. Stipa L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 5. Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 247–252.

Stipa pulcherrima K.Koch. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:423690-1 [Accessed 20.05.2026].

Stipa pulcherrima. Valdés, B. & Scholz, H.; with contributions from Raab-Straube, E. von & Parolly, G. 2009+: Poaceae (pro parte majore). – In: Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/0bde87f6-a017-4994-b458-5afe957e253a [Accessed 20.05.2026].

Vukićević, E. 1976. Stipa L. In Josifović, M. (ed.), Flora SR Srbije, VIII. Beograd: Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 316–322.