- Source: 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.