Vahlodea

Vahlodea is a monotypic genus of plants in the grass family. The only known species is Vahlodea atropurpurea
Its native range is the subarctic, to temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere. From to Asia within and in North America and also southern South America.
The genus name of Vahlodea is in honour of Jens Vahl, a Danish botanist and pharmacist. The Latin specific epithet of atropurpurea means "dark-purple coloured".
Both the genus and the sole species were first described and published in Bot. Not. Vol.141 on page 178 in 1842.
The genus is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service, and they list Vahlodea atropurpurea as the known species.
It was thought to be a synonym of Deschampsia, but a 2007 molecular phylogenetic study supported the recognition of Avenella and Vahlodea.