Achnatherum is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family, Poaceae. It includes 20 species of needlegrass native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa.[1][2] Several needlegrass species have been switched between Achnatherum and genus Stipa; taxonomy between the two closely related genera is still uncertain. In 2019 Peterson et al. reorganized the genera in tribe Stipeae based on molecular DNA studies, and placed the species from the Americas into other genera.[3]
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20 species are accepted by Plants of the World Online as of October 2024:[1]
- Achnatherum brandisii (Mez) Z.L.Wu
- Achnatherum bromoides (L.) P.Beauv.
- Achnatherum calamagrostis (L.) P.Beauv.
- Achnatherum confusum (Litv.) Tzvelev
- Achnatherum daqinggouense L.Q.Zhao & Yi-ru-gui
- Achnatherum haussknechtii (Boiss.) M.Nobis
- Achnatherum inebrians (Hance) Keng
- Achnatherum jacquemontii (Jaub. & Spach) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu
- Achnatherum mandavillei (Freitag) M.Nobis
- Achnatherum nakaii (Honda) Tateoka
- Achnatherum paradoxum (L.) Banfi, Galasso & Bartolucci
- Achnatherum parviflorum (Desf.) M.Nobis
- Achnatherum pekinense (Hance) Ohwi
- Achnatherum pelliotii (Danguy) Röser & Hamasha
- Achnatherum pilosum Z.S.Zhang & W.L.Chen
- Achnatherum pubicalyx (Ohwi) Keng f. ex P.C.Kuo
- Achnatherum sibiricum (L.) Keng ex Tzvelev
- Achnatherum staintonii (Bor) M.Nobis & P.D.Gudkova
- Achnatherum turcomanicum (Roshev.) Tzvelev
- Achnatherum virescens (Trin.) Banfi, Galasso & Bartolucci
Species previously included in Achnatherum:
- Amelichloa brachychaeta (Godr.) Arriaga & Barkworth (as Achnatherum brachychaetum (Godr.) Barkworth) - punagrass
- Amelichloa caudata (Trin.) Arriaga & Barkworth (as Achnatherum caudatum (Trin.) S.L.W.Jacobs & J.Everett) - Chilean ricegrass
- Amelichloa clandestina (Hack.) Arriaga & Barkworth (as Achnatherum clandestinum (Hack.) Barkworth) - Mexican ricegrass
- Barkworthia stillmanii (Bol.) Romasch., P.M.Peterson & Soreng (as Achnatherum stillmanii (Bol.) Barkworth) - Stillman's needlegrass
- Eriocoma arida (M.E.Jones) Romasch. (as Achnatherum aridum (M.E.Jones) Barkworth) - Mormon needlegrass
- Eriocoma × bloomeri (Bol.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum × bloomeri (Boland.) Barkworth) - Bloomer's ricegrass
- Eriocoma contracta (B.L.Johnson) Romasch. (as Achnatherum contractum (B.L. Johnson) Barkworth) - contracted ricegrass
- Eriocoma coronata (Thurb.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum coronatum (Thurb.) Barkworth) - crested needlegrass
- Eriocoma curvifolia (Swallen) Romasch. (as Achnatherum curvifolium (Swallen) Barkworth) - Guadalupe ricegrass
- Eriocoma hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Rydb. (as Achnatherum hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Barkworth) - Indian ricegrass
- Eriocoma hendersonii (Vasey) Romasch. (as Achnatherum hendersonii (Vasey) Barkworth) - Henderson's needlegrass
- Eriocoma latiglumis (Swallen) Romasch. (as Achnatherum latiglume (Swallen) Barkworth) - wide-glumed needlegrass
- Eriocoma lemmonii (Vasey) Romasch. (Achnatherum lemmonii (Vasey) Barkworth) - Lemmon's needlegrass
- Eriocoma lettermanii (Vasey) Romasch. (as Achnatherum lettermanii (Vasey) Barkworth) - Letterman's needlegrass
- Eriocoma lobata (Swallen) Romasch. (as Achnatherum lobatum (Swallen) Barkworth) - lobed needlegrass
- Eriocoma nelsonii (Scribn.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum nelsonii (Scribn.) Barkworth) - Nelson's needlegrass, Dore's needlegrass
- Eriocoma nevadensis (B.L.Johnson) Romasch. (as Achnatherum nevadense (B.L. Johnson) Barkworth) - Nevada needlegrass
- Eriocoma occidentalis (Thurb. ex S.Watson) Romasch. (as Achnatherum occidentale (Thurb.) Barkworth) - western needlegrass
- Eriocoma parishii (Vasey) Romasch. (as Achnatherum parishii (Vasey) Barkworth) - Parish's needlegrass
- Eriocoma perplexa (Hoge & Barkworth) Romasch. (as Achnatherum perplexum Hoge & Barkworth) - perplexing needlegrass
- Eriocoma pinetorum (M.E.Jones) Romasch. (as Achnatherum pinetorum (M.E. Jones) Barkworth) - pinewoods needlegrass
- Eriocoma richardsonii (Link) Romasch. (as Achnatherum richardsonii (Link) Barkworth) - Richardson's needlegrass
- Eriocoma robusta (Vasey) Romasch. (as Achnatherum robustum (Vasey) Barkworth) - sleepygrass
- Eriocoma scribneri (Vasey) Romasch. (as Achnatherum scribneri (Vasey) Barkworth) - Scribner needlegrass
- Eriocoma thurberiana (Piper) Romasch. (as Achnatherum thurberianum (Piper) Barkworth) - Thurber's needlegrass
- Eriocoma swallenii (C.L.Hitchc. & Spellenb.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum swallenii (C.L. Hitchc. & Spellenb.) Barkworth) - Swallen's needlegrass
- Eriocoma webberi Thurb. (as Achnatherum webberi (Thurb.) Barkworth) - Webber needlegrass
- Neotrinia splendens (Trin.) M.Nobis, P.D.Gudkova & A.Nowak (as Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevsky)
- Pappostipa speciosa (Trin. & Rupr.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum speciosum Trin. & Rupr.) - desert needlegrass
- Pentameris pallida (Thunb.) Galley & H.P.Linder (as Achnatherum capense (L.) P.Beauv.)
- Ptilagrostis duthiei (Hook.f.) M.Nobis & P.D.Gudkova (as Achnatherum duthiei (Hook.f.) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu)
- Pseudoeriocoma acuta (Swallen) Romasch. (as Achnatherum acutum (Swallen) Valdés-Reyna & Barkworth)
- Pseudoeriocoma editorum (E.Fourn.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum editorum (E.Fourn.) Valdés-Reyna & Barkworth)
- Pseudoeriocoma eminens (Cav.) Romasch. (as Achnatherum eminens (Cav.) Barkworth) - southwestern needlegrass
- Thorneochloa diegoensis (Swallen) Romasch. (as Achnatherum diegoense (Swallen) Barkworth) - San Diego needlegrass
- Timouria conferta (Poir.) Sennikov (as Achnatherum caragana (Trin.) Nevski)
Watson L, Dallwitz MJ. (2008). "The grass genera of the world: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval; including synonyms, morphology, anatomy, physiology, phytochemistry, cytology, classification, pathogens, world and local distribution, and references". The Grass Genera of the World. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2009-08-19. Peterson PM, Romaschenko K, Soreng RJ, Valdés Reyna J (2019) A key to the North American genera of Stipeae (Poaceae, Pooideae) with descriptions and taxonomic names for species of Eriocoma, Neotrinia, Oloptum, and five new genera: Barkworthia, × Eriosella, Pseudoeriocoma, Ptilagrostiella, and Thorneochloa. PhytoKeys 126: 89-125. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.126.34096
- CRC World Dictionary of Grasses - Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology - Volume I (A - D), by Umberto Quattrocchi, ISBN 978-0-8493-1303-5
