:Holcus

{{Short description|Genus of grasses}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|name = Soft-grass

|image = Gladde witbol bloeiwijze Holcus mollis.jpg

|image_caption = Holcus mollis

|display_parents = 4

|taxon = Holcus

|authority = L.

|type_species = Holcus lanatus

|type_species_authority = L.

|synonyms_ref = [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=418988 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]

|synonyms =

• Arthrochloa R.Br.
• Ginannia Bubani
• Homalachne (Benth. & Hook.f.) Kuntze
• Homoiachne Pilg.
• Notholcus Nash ex Hitchc.
• Nothoholcus Nash
• Sorgum Adans., rejected name

}}

Holcus (soft-grass or velvetgrass) is a genus of African and Eurasian plants in the oat tribe within the grass family.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/359068#page/489/mode/1up Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 1047-1049] in Latin[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40026728 Tropicos, Holcus L.][http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/floraspecie.php?genere=Holcus Altervista Flora Italiana genere Holcus]

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

; Species[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Holcus The Plant List search for Holcus][http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Holcus Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps]

• 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 Isles 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