Stipa kyzylkiensis Kotukhov (1998b: 12)

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 : 35

9. Stipa kyzylkiensis Kotukhov (1998b: 12) . Type citation:—Saur-Tarbagataj, jugum Saur, in regione hibernaculi Kyzylkija, declivitas australi-orientalis lapidosa, 17 VII 1993, Ju. Kotuchov (LE)

Type (original label):— Stipa kyzylkiensis Kotuch. sp. nov., Tip: Saur-Tarbagatai, khr. Saur, v raione zimovki Kyzylkiya, yugo-vostochnyi kamenistyi sklon, 17 VII 1993, Yu. Kotukhov (lectotype LE! designated here, isolectotypes KRA 436041!, KRA 436042!, KUZ! 6 sheets, LE! 2 sheets).

The original material (type) of this species at LE consists of three specimens from a single gathering mounted on three sheets. Eight additional original specimens of this taxon, not mentioned in the description, are preserved in KUZ and KRA. Because a holotype was not indicated in the protologue, we designate a lectotype. Since there is more than one sheet at LE, we designate the sheet with a specimen having five culms and numerous vegetative shoots as the lectotype.

Kotukhov (1998b) distinguished Stipa kyzylkiensis from S. sczerbakovii by having shorter hairs on awn seta (0.1–0.2 vs. 0.5–0.8 mm long), longer anthecia (9–10 vs. 8–9 mm long) and longer anthers (ca. 5 vs. 3.5–4 mm long). Based on study of all original material of S. kyzylkiensis , we found the variability of several characters to be somewhat greater than described in the protologue: glumes 21–26 mm long (not 21–22 mm as described), anthecium 9.0– 11.5 mm long (not 9–10 mm), hairs on seta 0.6–1.3 mm long (not 0.1–0.2 mm), anthers 4.1–5.3 mm long. The variability of these characters in S. sczerbakovii is also somewhat greater (see notes under S. sczerbakovii ). All of the specimens from the type material at LE as well as other original specimens at KUZ and KRA have distinctly longer hairs on the seta than was indicated in the description of the species (0.8–1.3 mm not 0.1–0.2 mm). Taking into account the overlapping variation in these two taxa, we treat S. kyzylkiensis as conspecific with S. sczerbakovii .