Velvetgrass

Foodplant / miner
larva of Agromyza nigrella mines leaf of Holcus

Plant / resting place / on
puparium of Agromyza nigripes may be found on leaf (outside mine) of Holcus

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Albotricha albotestacea is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: 2-8

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / spot causer
gregarious, with smoky-brown pore pycnidium of Ascochyta coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta graminicola causes spots on fading leaf of Holcus
Remarks: season: late summer

Foodplant / spot causer
pycnidium of Actinothyrium coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta leptospora causes spots on leaf of Holcus

Plant / resting place / on
female of Baliothrips dispar may be found on Holcus
Remarks: season: 1-12
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
cleistothecium of Blumeria graminis parasitises live sheath of Holcus
Remarks: season: 7-10

Plant / resting place / within
puparium of Chromatomyia nigra may be found in leaf-mine of Holcus

Foodplant / parasite
Sphacelia anamorph of Claviceps purpurea parasitises inflorescence of Holcus
Remarks: season: 7

Foodplant / saprobe
colony of Drechslera dematiaceous anamorph of Drechslera dematioidea is saprobic on dead leaf of Holcus

Foodplant / parasite
colony of Dreschler dematiaceous anamorph of Drechslera triseptata parasitises live Holcus

Foodplant / gall
stroma of Epichlo causes gall of stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: fertile in 8

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum carneolum var. longisporum is saprobic on dead leaf of Holcus
Remarks: season: (2-)6-8(-10)

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum controversum is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: 5-10

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum tenuissimum is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: 5-8

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, initially immersed pseudothecium of Leptosphaeria culmifraga is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: spring, summer

Foodplant / pathogen
pycnidium of Dilophospora coelomycetous anamorph of Lidophia graminis infects and damages live inflorescence of Holcus
Remarks: season: 5-10, esp. 7

Plant / resting place / on
puparium of Liriomyza flaveola may be found on leaf of Holcus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
numerous, often confluent pycnothyrium of Actinothyrium coelomycetous anamorph of Lophodermium apiculatum is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus
Remarks: season: 3-8

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pycnidial anamorph of Ophiosphaerella herpotricha is saprobic on stem internode (basal) of Holcus
Remarks: season: 3-7
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
effuse colony of Periconia dematiaceous anamorph of Periconia minutissima is saprobic on dead leaf of Holcus
Remarks: season: 1-12

Foodplant / saprobe
pycnidium of Hendersonia coelomycetous anamorph of Phaeosphaeria vagans is saprobic on dead stem of Holcus

Foodplant / saprobe
confluent colony of Pithomyces dematiaceous anamorph of Pithomyces chartarum is saprobic on dead leaf of Holcus

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Psilachnum eburneum is saprobic on dead leaf of Holcus
Remarks: season: 4-9

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous, numerous, black pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph of Septoria bromi causes spots on fading leaf of Holcus
Remarks: season: 6-9

Foodplant / spot causer
long, linear, erumpent sorus of Ustilago striiformis causes spots on live, blistered leaf of Holcus

Annuals or perennials. Inflorescence a dense panicle. Spikelets 2-flowered; lower bisexual, upper male, falling entire. Glumes subequal, papery, enclosing the florets. Lemmas glossy, cartilaginous, rounded, indistinctly nerved; lower awnless; upper with an awn.

Holcus (soft-grass or velvetgrass) is a genus of African and Eurasian plants in the oat tribe within the grass family.

Holcus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora lixella.

Species Holcus annuus - Mediterranean and nearby areas from Portugal + Morocco to Caucasus Holcus azoricus - Azores - possibly a hybrid of H. lanatus and H. rigidus Holcus caespitosus - Sierra Nevada in southern Spain Holcus gayanus - Spain, Portugal Holcus grandiflorus - Spain Holcus × hybridus - France, Germany, British Isles -- H. lanatus × H. mollis Holcus lanatus - Europe, Mediterranean + nearby areas from Iceland to Canary Is to Caucasus; naturalized in North + South America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, various islands Holcus mollis - Algeria, Tunisia, most of Europe; naturalized in Australia, new Zealand, scattered locales in North America Holcus notarisii - Macedonia, Italy Holcus rigidus - Azores Holcus setiger - Cape Prov of South Africa formerly included

Several species now regarded as better suited to other genera; Andropogon Arrhenatherum Arundinella Bothriochloa Capillipedium Centotheca Chasmanthium Chrysopogon Deschampsia Heteropogon Hierochloe Pennisetum Pentameris Pseudoraphis Rostraria Sorghum Sporobolus Ventenata