Arrhenatherum, commonly called oat-grass or button-grass, is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the grass family.Palisot de Beauvois, Ambroise Marie François Joseph. 1812. Essai d'une Nouvelle Agrostographie 55-56 descriptions in Latin, commentary in FrenchPalisot de Beauvois, Ambroise Marie François Joseph. 1812. Essai d'une Nouvelle Agrostographie plate XI (11), figure V (5) at lower left line drawings of Arrhenatherum avenaceumAltervista Flora Italiana genere Arrhenatherum
Description Wild forms can resemble wild oat (Avena) or fescue (Festuca). Oat-grasses are very common perennials with yellowish roots. The shining stems grow to a height of ,Streeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. Collins Flower Guide. Harper Collins but die off in winter. The leaves are hairless with blunt ligules. The inflorescence is a panicle with two-flowered bisexual spikelets.Valdes, B. & H. Scholz. 2006. The Euro+Med treatment of Gramineae - a generic synopsis and some new names. Willdenowia 36(2): 657–669
SpeciesThe Plant List search for Arrhenatherum Arrhenatherum album - tall oat-grass - Mediterranean from Portugal to Cyprus Arrhenatherum calderae - Tenerife in Canary Islands Arrhenatherum elatius - false oat-grass, tall oat-grass, tall meadow oat - Eurasia + North Africa from Iceland to Canary Islands + Kazakhstan; naturalized in East Asia,Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 322 燕麦草属 yan mai cao shu Arrhenatherum P. Beauvois Australia,Atlas of Living Australia, Oatgrass, Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) P.Beauv. ex J.Presl & C.Presl New Zealand, the AmericasBiota of North America Program 2013 county distribution mapRosengurtt, B., B. R. A. Maffei & P. I. Artucio. 1970. Gramíneas Uruguayas [i–vii], 1–489. Universidad de la República, Montevideo Arrhenatherum kotschyii - Turkey, Caucasus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan Arrhenatherum longifolium - France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco Arrhennatherum palaestinum - eastern Mediterranean from Greece to Iraq Arrhenatherum pallens - Portugal
Formerly included Numerous species are now considered better placed in other genera: Avenula, Danthoniastrum, Duthiea, Helictochloa, Helictotrichon and Sphenopholis.
In culture Arrhenatherum remains are found in northern European burials from the Iron Age but disappear after Christianisation. It has been argued that they are included in the Old Norse category of ('leeks') and may have reflected the rebirth of the dead, or as protection during their journey to the afterlife.
See also List of Poaceae genera
References