Panarctic Flora

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3409 Hierochloë R. Br.

GBIF

Notes: Schouten and Veldkamp (1985) included Hierochloë in Anthoxanthum on morphological evidence. The two genera are rather different morphologically in Europe, northern Asia, and North America, but Schouten and Veldkamp found southeastern Asian representatives to be much more similar. Soreng et al. (2003) and Allred and Barkworth (2007) accepted the merger for America. Nevertheless, we prefer to accept Hierochloë as a genus apart from Anthoxanthum. Note also the difference in base chromosome number, at least for the northern representatives: x = 5 in Anthoxanthum s. str., x = 7 in Hierochloë.

The most thorough morphological and cytological treatment of northern Hierochloë to date is Weimarck (1970a, 1970b, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1986). The taxa that reach the Arctic belong to three rather different groups: the H. alpina aggregate, the H. odorata aggregate, and H. pauciflora.

Higher Taxa