''Holcus'' (soft-grass or velvetgrass) is a genus of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n and

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

n plants in the oat tribe within the

grass family 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 cultivated in ...

. ''Holcus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including '' Coleophora lixella''. ; SpeciesBiota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> * '' Holcus annuus'' - Mediterranean and nearby areas from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

to Caucasus * '' Holcus azoricus'' -

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

- possibly a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

of ''H. lanatus'' and ''H. rigidus'' * '' Holcus caespitosus'' -

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

in southern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

* '' Holcus gayanus'' -

, Portugal * '' Holcus grandiflorus'' - Spain * '' Holcus × hybridus'' -

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

-- ''H. lanatus × H. mollis'' * ''

Holcus lanatus ''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. The specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In Nor ...

'' - Europe, Mediterranean + nearby areas from

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Canary Isles The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the continent being 100 kilometres (62 mi ...

to Caucasus; naturalized in North + South America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, various islands * ''

Holcus mollis ''Holcus mollis'', known as creeping soft grass or creeping velvet grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. It is native to Europe and north Africa. Description ''Holcus mollis'' is a rhizomatous perennial grass fou ...

'' -

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, most of Europe; naturalized in Australia, new Zealand, scattered locales in North America * '' Holcus notarisii'' - Macedonia, Italy * '' Holcus rigidus'' - Azores * '' Holcus setiger'' - Cape Prov of South Africa ; formerly included Several species now regarded as better suited to other genera; ''

Andropogon ''Andropogon'' (common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as Southern Europe and various oceanic islands. Over 100 speci ...

Arrhenatherum ''Arrhenatherum'', commonly called oat-grass or button-grass, is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the Poaceae, grass family. Description Wild forms can resemble avena, wild oat (''Avena'') or festuca, fescue (''Festuca''). Oat-gra ...

Arundinella ''Arundinella'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, common in many tropical and subtropical regions.Phipps, J. B. 1967. Studies in the Arundinelleae (Gramineae). V. The series of the genus ''Arundinella''. Canadian Journal of Bot ...

Bothriochloa ''Bothriochloa'' is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family native to many countries on all inhabited continents and many islands. They are often called beardgrass, bluegrass or bluestem. Some species are invasive in areas wh ...

Capillipedium ''Capillipedium'' (common name scented-tops) is a genus of plants in the grass family. They are native to Africa, Asia, Australia, and certain islands in the Western Pacific. '' Capillipedium mistryi'' is an exception in the genus from India in ...

Centotheca ''Centotheca'' is a genus of African, Asian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Centotheca lappacea'' (L.) Desv. - tropical western + central Africa; Madagascar, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, numerous islands of t ...

Chasmanthium

Chrysopogon ''Chrysopogon'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. They are widespread across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, southeastern North America, and various islands. Species Source: Formerly included Source: Resear ...

Deschampsia ''Deschampsia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. The genus is widespread across many countries.Heteropogon

Hierochloe ''Hierochloe'' is a genus of plants in the grass family known generally as sweetgrass. These are perennial rhizomatous grasses found primarily in temperate and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America, although some species extend southward ...

Pennisetum ''Cenchrus'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Its species are native to many countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands. Comm ...

Pentameris ''Pentameris'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native primarily to Africa, with a few species in Yemen and on certain islands in the Indian Ocean. A significant number of species are endemic to South Africa.Linder, Hans Peter, et al. 2 ...

Pseudoraphis ''Pseudoraphis'' is a genus of Asian and Australian plants in the grass family, commonly known as mudgrasses.Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 1992 onwards''Pseudoraphis'' Griff.The Grass Genera of the World.Rostraria ''Rostraria'' is a genus of plants in the Poaceae, grass family, native primarily to Eurasia and North Africa with one species native to South America. Hairgrass is a common name. These grasses are sometimes included in genus ''Koeleria''. ; Sp ...

Sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

Sporobolus ''Sporobolus'' is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family. The name ''Sporobolus'' means "seed-thrower", and is derived from Ancient Greek word (), meaning "seed", and the root of () "to throw", referring to the dispersion of ...

Ventenata ''Ventenata'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to Europe, North Africa, and central + southwest Asia. One species, ''Ventenata dubia'', is considered an invasive weed in many places. ; Species * '' Ventenata blanchei'' Boiss. - L ...

References

Pooideae Poaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Pooideae-stub