Stipe

stipe [ stahyp ] noun: the stalk of an alga, fungus, or certain plants

The stipe of a fern frond is basically a leafstalk. The stipe of an alga connects the blades to the holdfast. The stipe of a fungus supports the cap. The stipe of an advanced orchid is a band of non-sticky tissue associated with the pollinia (pollen masses).

Fern Stipes

Just as a petiole attaches a leaf to the stem, the stipe connects a fern’s leafy blade to its rhizome, which is a modified plant stem. The color, texture, and structure of the stipe of a frond can aid in fern identification.

Mature stipes of native Adiantum pedatum

The stipes of native Asplenium platyneuron

Young April stipes of native Athyrium aspleniodides

The stipes of the unfurling April fronds of native Onoclea sensibilis

Left to right: Adiantum pedatum, Asplenium platyneuron, Athyrium aspleniodides, Dryopteris marginalis, Onoclea sensibilis.

Kelp Stipes

There are about thirty different species of kelp. One example, Nereocystis luetkeana (bull or bullwhip kelp), an annual alga or seaweed, lives in the coastal waters from Alaska to California. It can grow to more than 100 feet of which most of the length belongs to the stipe that holds 9–14-foot blades. In contrast, Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp), an alga that produces mannitol, a natural sugar substitute, inhabits subtidal waters of the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (south to Long Island Sound). While its 3–16-foot undulating blades may be similar in length to that of bull kelp, its stipe reaches up to a mere 20 inches.

Diagram of Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) by Xueqian Zhang and Marianne Thomsen

Researcher holding Saccharina latissima by its short stipes David Csepp, NOAA

The stipes of Nereocystis luetkeana (diagram and image, left) and Saccharina latissima (diagram and image, right).

Mushroom Stipes

Not all fungi have stipes, but for those that do, their texture, size, shape, and other characteristics often facilitate the identification of a mushroom. It is essential to examine fresh mushrooms to assure accurate species identification as wilting alters a mushroom’s appearance and poisonous mushrooms could be mistaken for edible ones and vice versa.

A thick, buff color stipe supports the funnel-like cap of this mushroom found in a weedy August lawn.

The stipes of this mushroom cluster (perhaps Armillaria, although a spore print was not taken to confirm identity) are fused together at the base in October.

The stipe of this mushroom was removed from the cluster to which it was attached in October.

Thick, whitish stipes of young, edible Stropharia rugosoannulata (wine cap)

A variety of mushroom stipes.

NOTE: Plants in the wild should not be eaten without consulting an expert or authoritative field guides for information on identification and food preparation. It is easy to confuse plants in the wild, so you should be 100% sure they are edible before consuming them. Remember:

Just because a plant is not identified as toxic does not mean that it is safe to eat.
Sometimes only certain parts of a plant are edible and other parts of the same plant are toxic.
Sometimes parts are only edible at a certain time in their life cycle or when prepared in a certain way.

References

Dodson, CH. orchid. Encyclopedia Britannica. (https://www.britannica.com/plant/orchid accessed October 24, 2021).

Ferns and Fern Allies. Minnesota Wildflowers. (accessed October 11, 2012).

Springer Y. Hays C. Carr M. Mackey M. Bloeser J. 2007. Ecology and Management of the Bull Kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana A: A Synthesis with Recommendations for Future Research. University of California, Santa Cruz. Pacific Marine Conservation Council.

Sugar Kelp. NOAA Fisheries. (accessed October 13, 2021).

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