''Achnatherum'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the grass family,
Poaceae
Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...
. It includes 20 species of
needlegrass native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa.
Stipa
''Stipa'' is a genus of 141 species of large Perennial plant, perennial hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, w ...
''; taxonomy between the two closely related genera is still uncertain. In 2019 Peterson ''et al.'' reorganized the genera in tribe Stipeae based on molecular DNA studies, and placed the species from the Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...
into other genera.[Peterson PM, Romaschenko K, Soreng RJ, Valdés Reyna J (2019) A key to the North American genera of Stipeae (Poaceae, Pooideae) with descriptions and taxonomic names for species of ''Eriocoma, Neotrinia, Oloptum'', and five new genera: ''Barkworthia, × Eriosella, Pseudoeriocoma, Ptilagrostiella'', and ''Thorneochloa''. ''PhytoKeys'' 126: 89-125. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.126.34096]
Species
20 species are accepted by Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
as of October 2024:[
]
Unplaced species
* '' Achnatherum roshevitzii'' ( unplaced) - Roshevich's achnatherum
Formerly placed here
Species previously included in ''Achnatherum'':
* '' Amelichloa brachychaeta'' (as ''Achnatherum brachychaetum'' ) - punagrass
* '' Amelichloa caudata'' (as ''Achnatherum caudatum'' ) - Chilean ricegrass
* '' Amelichloa clandestina'' (as ''Achnatherum clandestinum'' ) - Mexican ricegrass
* '' Barkworthia stillmanii'' (as ''Achnatherum stillmanii'' ) - Stillman's needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma arida
''Eriocoma arida'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by the common name Mormon needlegrass. It is native to the southwestern United States and northeastern Mexico.
Description
''Eriocoma arida'' is a tuft-forming perennial bunchgrass without ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum aridum'' ) - Mormon needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma × bloomeri'' (as ''Achnatherum × bloomeri'' ) - Bloomer's ricegrass
* '' Eriocoma contracta'' (as ''Achnatherum contractum'' ) - contracted ricegrass
* '' Eriocoma coronata'' (as ''Achnatherum coronatum'' ) - crested needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma curvifolia
''Eriocoma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family (Poaceae). It includes 27 species of grasses native to western and central North America. Species range from Alaska through western and central Canada, western and central United States, to no ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum curvifolium'' ) - Guadalupe ricegrass
* ''Eriocoma hymenoides
''Eriocoma hymenoides'' (common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass. It is native to western North America.
Description
In the wild, ''Eriocoma hymenoides'' typically grows tall and wide.Tirmen ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum hymenoides'' ) - Indian ricegrass
* ''Eriocoma hendersonii
''Eriocoma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family (Poaceae). It includes 27 species of grasses native to western and central North America. Species range from Alaska through western and central Canada, western and central United States, to no ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum hendersonii'' ) - Henderson's needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma latiglumis
''Eriocoma latiglumis'' is a species of grass known by the common names wide-glumed needlegrass and Sierra needlegrass.
It is a bunchgrass is endemic to montane California, where it grows in the mountain meadows and pine forests of the Sierra ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum latiglume'' ) - wide-glumed needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma lemmonii
''Eriocoma lemmonii'' is a species of grass known by the common name Lemmon's needlegrass. It is native to western North America, where its distribution extends from British Columbia to southern California.
This perennial grass forms a dense clu ...
'' (''Achnatherum lemmonii'' ) - Lemmon's needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma lettermanii
''Eriocoma lettermanii'' is a species of grass known by the common name Letterman's needlegrass. It is native to the western United States from California and Oregon to Montana and New Mexico, where it is a resident of several types of habitat.
...
'' (as ''Achnatherum lettermanii'' ) - Letterman's needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma lobata
''Eriocoma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family (Poaceae). It includes 27 species of grasses native to western and central North America. Species range from Alaska through western and central Canada, western and central United States, to no ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum lobatum'' ) - lobed needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma nelsonii
''Eriocoma nelsonii'' is a species of grass known by the common names Columbia needlegrass, subalpine needlegrass, and western needlegrass. It is native to western North America, from Yukon and British Columbia to California to Texas.Zouhar, Kri ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum nelsonii'' ) - Nelson's needlegrass, Dore's needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma nevadensis
''Eriocoma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family (Poaceae). It includes 27 species of grasses native to western and central North America. Species range from Alaska through western and central Canada, western and central United States, to no ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum nevadense'' ) - Nevada needlegrass
* ''Eriocoma occidentalis
''Eriocoma occidentalis'' is a species of grass known by the common name western needlegrass. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, Colorado, and Arizona and in northeastern Mexico (Chihuahua), where it grows ...
'' (as ''Achnatherum occidentale'' ) - western needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma parishii'' (as ''Achnatherum parishii'' ) - Parish's needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma perplexa'' (as ''Achnatherum perplexum'' ) - perplexing needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma pinetorum'' (as ''Achnatherum pinetorum'' ) - pinewoods needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma richardsonii'' (as ''Achnatherum richardsonii'' ) - Richardson's needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma robusta'' (as ''Achnatherum robustum'' ) - sleepygrass
* '' Eriocoma scribneri'' (as ''Achnatherum scribneri'' ) - Scribner needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma thurberiana'' (as ''Achnatherum thurberianum'' ) - Thurber's needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma swallenii'' (as ''Achnatherum swallenii'' ) - Swallen's needlegrass
* '' Eriocoma webberi'' (as ''Achnatherum webberi'' ) - Webber needlegrass
*'' Neotrinia splendens'' (Trin.) M.Nobis, P.D.Gudkova & A.Nowak (as ''Achnatherum splendens'' (Trin.) Nevsky)
* '' Pappostipa speciosa'' (as ''Achnatherum speciosum'' ) - desert needlegrass
* '' Pentameris pallida'' (as ''Achnatherum capense'' )
* '' Ptilagrostis duthiei'' (as ''Achnatherum duthiei'' )
* '' Pseudoeriocoma acuta'' (as ''Achnatherum acutum'' )
* '' Pseudoeriocoma editorum'' (as ''Achnatherum editorum'' )
* '' Pseudoeriocoma eminens'' (as ''Achnatherum eminens'' ) - southwestern needlegrass
* '' Thorneochloa diegoensis'' (as ''Achnatherum diegoense'' ) - San Diego needlegrass
* '' Timouria conferta'' (as ''Achnatherum caragana'' )
References
* ''CRC World Dictionary of Grasses - Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology - Volume I (A - D)'', by Umberto Quattrocchi,
External links
USDA Plants Profile for ''Achnatherum'' speciesHerbarium.usu.edu: ''Achnatherum'' Genus key
{{Authority control
Poaceae genera
Flora of the Palearctic realm
Taxa described in 1812
Taxa named by Palisot de Beauvois