Contribution l'étude biochimique des caryopses du genre Stipa L. (Gramineae)

A survey on amino acid contents of caryopses belonging to Stipa genus, has been undertaken using earlier published results and those relative to S. bromoides, S. capensis, S. capillata, S. offneri and S. pennata species, collected in South part area of France. The arginin content oppose the Stipeae tribe to that of Aristideae, in agreement with their phylogenetic distance, which is demonstrated by embryo structure. Stipeae are typical pasture grasses of the main continents and are edible, either in the vegetative form or when panicles are exserted and above all before diaspores maturity and ripening of caryopses which bring an amino acid supplement and improve the nutritional value of shoots.