Stipa kempirica Kotukhov (1994: 101)

Nobis, Marcin & Gudkova, Polina D., 2016, Taxonomic notes on feather grasses (Poaceae: Stipa) from eastern Kazakhstan with typification of seven names and one new combination, Phytotaxa 245 (1), pp. 31-42 : 34-35

7. Stipa kempirica Kotukhov (1994: 101) . Type citation:—Saur-Tarbagatai, brachia australi-occidentalia jugi Manrak, 600 m s. m., locus Kempirbulak, clivulus lapidosus orientalis, 11 VII 1992, Ju. Kotuchov (LE)

Type (original label):— Stipa kempirica Kotuch. 1994 , Bot. Zhurn. t. 79, n 7, Typus!, [det.] N. Tzvelev, 11 VII 1992, Stipa rupestris Kotuch. (Sect. Stipa ), Saur=Tarbagatai, yugo-zap. otrogi khr. Manrak, 600 m. nad ur. m., urochishche Kempirbulak, vost. kamenistyi mikrosklon, Typus!, Yu. Kotukhov (lectotype LE! designated here, isolectotypes KRA 436044!, KUZ!, LE!).

The original material (type) of this species cited in the protologue consists of two sheets from a single gathering preserved in LE. Each sheet contains one specimen provisionally named by Kotukhov as S. rupestris , but described as S. kempirica [the name S. rupestris Philippi (1891: 81) is reserved for a South American feather grass]. Another sheet of this taxon was collected from the same location and probably at the same time [although the date on the label is 11 June (not July) 1992]. The specimen on this sheet is in the same stage of development as the two mentioned above, which would be unlikely if it had been collected from the same location one month earlier. Two additional original specimens of this taxon (named S. rupestris ) not mentioned in the description are preserved in KUZ and KRA. They contain original handwritten descriptions and Kotukhov’s notes. Because the holotype was not indicated in the protologue, we here designate a lectotype. Since there is more than one sheet at LE, we designate the sheet with the word ‘Typus’ written by N. Tzvelev on the label as the lectotype.

Stipa kempirica is similar to S. macroglossa subsp. kazachstanica ( Kotukhov 1994: 104) Nobis (2013: 1352) and S. kirghisorum Smirnov (1925: 223) . It differs from these taxa by having shorter hairs on the awn seta (2.3–3.2 mm long in S. kempirica vs. 3.8–6.7 mm long in S. macroglossa subsp. kazachstanica and 3.5–6.5 mm long in S. kirghisorum ) and somewhat thinner vegetative leaves.