Bothriochloa is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family native to many countries on all inhabited continents and many islands. They are often called beardgrass, bluegrass or bluestem. Some species are invasive in areas where they have been introduced.
The etymology of the genus name Bothriochloa derives from the two ancient Greek words βοθρίον (bothríon), meaning "small pit or trench", and χλόη or χλόα (khlóa), meaning "new green shoot or blade of grass".
Recently, some specimens of Bothriochloa were collected from Gooty Fort Hill, Andhra Pradesh, India and identified as Bothriochloa ewartiana (Domin) C. E. Hubb. based on literature study and international correspondence with experts from Australia, Indonesia and Americas. It formed an extended and disjunct distribution of a Far Eastern species in Asia from India.
Systematics
Inflorescence of Bothriochloa pseudoischaemum (Nees ex Steud.) Henrard.
The following species are recognised:
Bothriochloa alta (Hitchc.) Henrard – tall beardgrass – Americas from New Mexico to Argentina
Bothriochloa barbinodis (Lag.) Herter– cane bluestem – USA (CO MO OK AZ CA NV UT TX NM FL SC), Mexico, El Salvador, South America (from Colombia to Paraguay)
Bothriochloa biloba S.T.Blake – Queensland, New South Wales
Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T.Blake – Asia (Yemen to Caucasus to Japan to Maluku), Australia, New Guinea, Africa, Madagascar
Bothriochloa bunyensis B.K.Simon – Queensland
Bothriochloa campii (Swallen) De Wet – Ecuador
Bothriochloa compressa (Hook.f.) Henrard – India, Lesser Sunda Islands
Bothriochloa decipiens (Hack.) C.E.Hubb. – Australia
Bothriochloa edwardsiana (Gould) Parodi – Mexico, Texas, Argentina, Uruguay
Bothriochloa ensiformis (Hook.f.) Henrard – India
Bothriochloa erianthoides (F.Muell.) C.E.Hubb. – Queensland, New South Wales
Bothriochloa eurylemma M.Marchi & Longhi – Wagner – Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul), Argentina (Entre Ríos, Chaco, Formosa,...
