Poaceae
Holcus

Holcus mollis L.

First published in Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 2: 1305 (1759)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe, NW. Africa. It is a perennial. It is has environmental uses.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20-110 cm long; 4-7 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4-20 cm long; 3-12 mm wide; mid-green, or grey-green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; dense, or loose; 4-12(-22) cm long. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; (3.5-)5-7 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Floret callus bearded.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; (3.5-)5-7 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Floret callus bearded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; (3.5-)5-7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; (3.5-)5-7 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume surface asperulous; pubescent; hairy on veins. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; (2.2-)2.5-3 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; male; elliptic; 2.5-3 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; straight; 3.5-5 mm long (exserted).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.6-2.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: western Canada, northwest USA, northeast USA, and southwest USA.
Reference
Aveneae. TAC.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2500–3000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 2500 - 3000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Creeping Soft Grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0