Stipa robusta/Sleepy grass

[yggdrasil]

Hi, does anyone know anything about this plant?

Thanks

[Happy Cadaver]

i think its supposed to contains LSA's produced by a symbiotic fungi on the seeds. but i may be wrong.

[Guest reville]

Mine have plenty of seed on them now but im not sure if its activei need to stain the 'pith' of the flower stalk to spot the fungus

If its there ill be selling plants in spring.

[spikey]

i think u got something wrong here...

the symbiotic fungi that makes LSA is called ergot, now that is found on wheat in china

stipa robtusa or how ever is spelled is from the americas

i think it's produces lsa in the leaves naturaly..

but i ain't no ethnobotany proffesor

[Torsten]

Originally posted by spikey:

i think u got something wrong here...

nope.

the symbiotic fungi that makes LSA is called ergot

it's not the only one. It is parasitic and not symbiotic.

now that is found on wheat in china

and europe and america and australia and everywhere else just about.

stipa robtusa or how ever is spelled

robusta, ie from robust = tough.

i think it's produces lsa in the leaves naturaly

no, it hosts a fungus (I think acremonium), which produces the LSA.

[Guest reville]

The fungus in Stipa robusta is an 'Acremonium'

this is an old term that has been out dtaed by several new genus names

The fungus lives within the plant tissues and

benefits the plant by inhibiting insect , herbivore and pathogen pressures

When the plant flowers the fingus grows up thrugh the flower spike to infect the seed.

It nestles into the husk of the seed and is carried this way. the fungus infects the new seedling within a week or so of germination and should be detectable by the time it forms its first mature leaf blades

The interesting thisng about stipa robusta and its partner is that it produces 10 time the LSA's as Tall fescue and its symbiont.

There is much more info about this species on the web so i suggest a serach. Just how relevant it is to Stipa is the topic of my own personal investigations.