Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Holub in Tutin et al., 1980 (as Avenula compressa (Heuffel) W. Sauer & Chmelitschek, Mitt. Bot. Staatssamm. (München) 12:582 (1976)) and Cincović and Kojić in Josifović, 1976 (as Avena compressa Heuff. 1835. Fl. 18:244). The accepted name in The Euro+Med Plantbase (Valdés et al., 2009+) is Helictochloa compressa (Heuff.) Romero Zarco in Candollea 66: 102. 2011.
Lifeform: Perrenial; Hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.
Distribution: Native from Hungary to the Balkan peninsula and Crimean peninsula according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew); also native to Türkiye according to The Euro+Med Plantbase (Valdés et al., 2009+).
Habitat: Open dry sites – hill pastures, rocky terrains.
Flowering period: Late spring – early summer: MAY, JUN.
Helictochloa compressa – habit. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – habit. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – habit. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – habit. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – panicle. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – habit. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelets. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelet. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem with cauline leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem with cauline leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem with cauline leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – leaf with ligule. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem and adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem and adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem and leaf sheath. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – stem and leaf sheath. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – lower part of plant. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – basal leaves. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – basal leaves. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – basal leaves and cross section of basal leaf with bulliform cells. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – compressed sheaths of basal leaves. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – compressed sheaths of basal leaves. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – plant base. Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – panicle. Scale in cm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelet. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelet. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – spikelet. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa – basal leaves with compressed sheaths. Scale in mm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.Helictochloa compressa –A: ovary; B: callus hairs (ch- calus hairs; r – rachilla) and C: rachilla under magnification. Scale – 1 mm. Specimen from Osogovo – hilly region near village of Beli, 01.06.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
References:
Avenula (Dumort.) Dumort. Holub, J. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1980). Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 210 – 216.
Helictochloa compressa. Valdés, B. & Scholz, H.; with contributions from Raab-Straube, E. von & Parolly, G. (2009+): Poaceae (pro parte majore). Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Accessed at https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/4fa210a0-025b-4312-ac0e-17e9b8c14322 [Accessed 19.12.2023].
Rod Avena L. Cincović, T. and Kojić, M. in Josifović, M. (1976). Flora SR Srbije VIII. Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 348 – 356.
