Helictotrichon

Helictotrichon, or alpine oatgrass, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the grass family. The genus name comes from the Greek heliktos meaning twisted, and trichos meaning hair, referring to the shape of the awn.

Most of the species are native to Africa and Eurasia with a few species in North America. Helictotrichon sempervirens is widely cultivated as an ornamental. Species Helictotrichon altius (Hitchc.) Ohwi - China Helictotrichon angustum C.E.Hubb. - Kenya, Yemen Helictotrichon arctum Cope - Yemen Helictotrichon barbatum (Nees) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon burmanicum Bor - Myanmar Helictotrichon cantabricum (Lag.) Gervais - Pyrenees in France + Spain Helictotrichon capense Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon convolutum (C.Presl) Henrard - Italy, Greece, Balkans, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon Helictotrichon cycladum (Rech.f. & T.C.Scheff.) Rech.f. - Greece incl Crete Helictotrichon decorum (Janka) Henrard - Romania Helictotrichon delavayi (Hack.) Henrard - China Helictotrichon desertorum (Less.) Nevski - Austria, Czech Rep, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia Helictotrichon devesae Romero Zarco - Spain Helictotrichon dodii (Stapf) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon elongatum (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) C.E.Hubb. - Madagascar; Africa from Chad to Eritrea to Zimbabwe Helictotrichon fedtschenkoi (Hack.) Henrard - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Helictotrichon filifolium (Lag.) Henrard - Spain, Morocco, Algeria Helictotrichon galpinii Schweick. - South Africa, Lesotho Helictotrichon hideoi (Honda) Ohwi - Japan, Taiwan Helictotrichon hirtulum (Steud.) Schweick. - South Africa, Lesotho Helictotrichon hissaricum (Roshev.) Henrard - Tajikistan Helictotrichon imberbe (Nees) Veldkamp - South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini Helictotrichon junghuhnii (Buse) Henrard - China, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Sumatra, Java, New Guinea Helictotrichon × krischae H.Melzer - Austria Helictotrichon krylovii (Pavlov) Henrard - Yakutia, Magadan Helictotrichon lachnanthum (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) C.E.Hubb. - Bioko, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda Helictotrichon leianthum (Keng) Ohwi - China Helictotrichon leoninum (Steud.) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon longifolium (Nees) Schweick. - South Africa, Lesotho Helictotrichon longum (Stapf) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon macrostachyum (Balansa & Durieu) Henrard - Algeria Helictotrichon mannii (Pilg.) C.E.Hubb. - Bioko, Cameroon Helictotrichon milanjianum (Rendle) C.E.Hubb. - Madagascar, East Africa Helictotrichon mongolicum (Roshev.) Henrard - Siberia, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan Helictotrichon mortonianum (Scribn.) Henrard - USA (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico) Helictotrichon murcicum Holub - Spain Helictotrichon namaquense Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon natalense (Stapf) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon newtonii (Stapf) C.E.Hubb. - Angola Helictotrichon parlatorei (J.Woods) Pilg. - Alps of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia Helictotrichon petzense H.Melzer - Alps of Austria, Slovenia Helictotrichon planifolium (Willk.) Holub - Pyrenees in France + Spain Helictotrichon polyneurum (Hook.f.) Henrard - Tamil Nadu Helictotrichon potaninii Tzvelev - Sichuan Helictotrichon quinquesetum (Steud.) Schweick. - South Africa Helictotrichon requienii (Mutel) Henrard - France + Spain Helictotrichon rogerellisii Mashau, Fish & A.E.van Wyk - South Africa Helictotrichon roggeveldense Mashau, Fish & A.E.van Wyk - South Africa Helictotrichon sangilense Krasnob. - Tuva in Siberia Helictotrichon sarracenorum (Gand.) Holub - Spain Helictotrichon schmidii (Hook.f.) Henrard - India, China Helictotrichon sedenense (Clarion ex DC.) Holub - France, Spain, Italy, Morocco Helictotrichon sempervirens (Vill.) Pilg. - Blue oat grass - France, Italy Helictotrichon setaceum (Vill.) Henrard - France, Italy Helictotrichon sumatrense Ohwi - Sumatra Helictotrichon tianschanicum (Roshev.) Henrard - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang Helictotrichon tibeticum (Roshev.) Holub - China incl Tibet + Xinjiang Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov - Turkmenistan Helictotrichon umbrosum (Hochst. ex Steud.) C.E.Hubb. - Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania Helictotrichon uniyalii Kandwal & B.K.Gupta - Uttarakhand Helictotrichon yunnanense S.Wang & B.S.Sun - Yunnan formerly included Many species once considered part of Helictotrichon are now regarded as better suited to other genera. A large number are now in Helictochloa with smaller numbers of species in Amphibromus, Arrhenatherum, Avenula, Danthoniastrum, Duthiea, Tricholemma, and Trisetum.