Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 3, 2026

Stipellula capensis

Stipellula capensis, the Mediterranean needle-grass, Cape rice grass, Mediterranean steppegrass or twisted-awned speargrass, is an annual grass from family Poaceae.

Last revised
Jul 3, 2026
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Stipellula capensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Stipellula
Species:
S. capensis
Binomial name
Stipellula capensis
(Thunb.) Röser & Hamasha
Synonyms1
  • Stipa capensis Thunb. (1794) (basionym)
  • Stipa capensis var. tortilis (Desf.) Breistr.
  • Stipa humilis Brot., nom. illeg.
  • Stipa liwinowii Roshev., pro syn.
  • Stipa retorta Cav.
  • Stipa seminuda Vahl ex Hornem.
  • Stipa tenacissima Ucria, nom. illeg.
  • Stipa tortilis Desf.
  • Stipa tortilis var. pubescens Ball
  • Stipella capensis (Thunb.) Röser & Hamasha
  • Stipellula capensis var. pubescens (Ball) F.M.Vázquez

Stipellula capensis, the Mediterranean needle-grass,2 Cape rice grass, Mediterranean steppegrass or twisted-awned speargrass, is an annual grass from family Poaceae.3

The species ranges from the Canary Islands and Madeira through the Mediterranean basin and Western Asia to the Caucasus, Arabian Peninsula, and India, and is also native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.1 It is native to the Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert ecoregion.4 In Persian it is called bahman and is probably the same plant which was used in the Persian festivity of bahmanagān.

References

References

  1. "Stipellula capensis (Thunb.) Röser & Hamasha". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. "Cal-IPC: Stipa capensis".
  4. "Persian Gulf Desert and Semi-desert." Biomes & Ecosystems, Vol. 3, Robert Warren Howarth (ed.). Ipswich, MA: Salem Press, pp. 1000-1002.