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.
; SpeciesHelictotrichon altius Ohwi - ChinaHelictotrichon angustum C.E.Hubb. - Kenya, YemenHelictotrichon arctum Cope - YemenHelictotrichon barbatum Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon burmanicum Bor - MyanmarHelictotrichon cantabricum Gervais - Pyrenees in France + SpainHelictotrichon capense Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon convolutum Henrard - Italy, Greece, Balkans, Turkey, Syria, LebanonHelictotrichon cycladum Rech.f. - Greece incl CreteHelictotrichon decorum Henrard - RomaniaHelictotrichon delavayi Henrard - ChinaHelictotrichon desertorum Nevski - Austria, Czech Rep, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, MongoliaHelictotrichon devesae Romero Zarco - SpainHelictotrichon dodii Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon elongatum C.E.Hubb. - Madagascar; Africa from Chad to Eritrea to ZimbabweHelictotrichon fedtschenkoi Henrard - Kyrgyzstan, TajikistanHelictotrichon filifolium Henrard - Spain, Morocco, AlgeriaHelictotrichon galpinii Schweick. - South Africa, LesothoHelictotrichon hideoi Ohwi - Japan, TaiwanHelictotrichon hirtulum Schweick. - South Africa, LesothoHelictotrichon hissaricum Henrard - TajikistanHelictotrichon imberbe Veldkamp - South Africa, Lesotho, EswatiniHelictotrichon junghuhnii Henrard - China, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Sumatra, Java, New GuineaHelictotrichon × krischae H.Melzer - AustriaHelictotrichon krylovii Henrard - Yakutia, MagadanHelictotrichon lachnanthum C.E.Hubb. - Bioko, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, UgandaHelictotrichon leianthum Ohwi - ChinaHelictotrichon leoninum Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon longifolium Schweick. - South Africa, LesothoHelictotrichon longum Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon macrostachyum Henrard - AlgeriaHelictotrichon mannii C.E.Hubb. - Bioko, CameroonHelictotrichon milanjianum C.E.Hubb. - Madagascar, East AfricaHelictotrichon mongolicum Henrard - Siberia, Mongolia, Xinjiang, KazakhstanHelictotrichon mortonianum Henrard - USA Helictotrichon murcicum Holub - SpainHelictotrichon namaquense Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon natalense Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon newtonii C.E.Hubb. - AngolaHelictotrichon parlatorei Pilg. - Alps of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, SloveniaHelictotrichon petzense H.Melzer - Alps of Austria, SloveniaHelictotrichon planifolium Holub - Pyrenees in France + SpainHelictotrichon polyneurum Henrard - Tamil NaduHelictotrichon potaninii Tzvelev - SichuanHelictotrichon quinquesetum Schweick. - South AfricaHelictotrichon requienii Henrard - France + SpainHelictotrichon rogerellisii Mashau, Fish & A.E.van Wyk - South AfricaHelictotrichon roggeveldense Mashau, Fish & A.E.van Wyk - South AfricaHelictotrichon sangilense Krasnob. - Tuva in SiberiaHelictotrichon sarracenorum Holub - SpainHelictotrichon schmidii Henrard - India, ChinaHelictotrichon sedenense Holub - France, Spain, Italy, MoroccoHelictotrichon sempervirens Pilg. - Blue oat grass - France, ItalyHelictotrichon setaceum Henrard - France, ItalyHelictotrichon sumatrense Ohwi - SumatraHelictotrichon tianschanicum Henrard - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, XinjiangHelictotrichon tibeticum Holub - China incl Tibet + XinjiangHelictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov - TurkmenistanHelictotrichon umbrosum C.E.Hubb. - Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, TanzaniaHelictotrichon uniyalii Kandwal & B.K.Gupta - UttarakhandHelictotrichon 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.