Crypsis (genus)

Crypsis is a genus of African and Eurasian plants in the grass family, sometimes referred to as pricklegrass.^[3][4][5][6] These are annual grasses with short leaves. A few species are invasive weeds outside their native ranges.^[7][8][9]

Pricklegrass
Crypsis alopecuroides[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Chloridoideae
Genus:	Crypsis Ait.
Type species
Crypsis aculeata (L.) Ait.
Species
See text
Synonyms[2]
Pallasia Scop. 1777, rejected name not L.f. 1782 nor L'Hér. ex Aiton 1789 nor Klotzsch 1853 Antitragus Gaertn. Raddia Mazziari 1834, illegitimate homonym not Bertol. 1819 nor DC. 1824 Ceytosis Munro Torgesia Bornm.

Taxonomy

Accepted species

The following species belong in the genus Crypsis, according to contemporary taxonomic treatments:^[2][10][11]

• Crypsis aculeata – from Portugal and Mauritania to Korea
• Crypsis acuminata – from Turkey to Kazakhstan
• Crypsis alopecuroides – from Portugal and Morocco to Korea; introduced in western North America (British Columbia + western USA)
• Crypsis factorovskyi – Caucasus, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan
• Crypsis hadjikyriakou – Cyprus
• Crypsis minuartioides – Sharon Plain in northwestern Israel
• Crypsis schoenoides – from Britain to China + Pakistan + Mozambique; introduced in North America (western USA, Great Lakes region, Baja California)
• Crypsis turkestanica – Central Asia, Caucasus, western Siberia, southern European Russia
• Crypsis vaginiflora – Africa; Middle East, India, Pakistan; introduced in North America (Idaho, Oregon, California, Baja California)

Former species

The following species were formerly included in the genus Crypsis, but have since been combined into other genera (Muhlenbergia, Munroa, Phleum, Rhizocephalus, Sporobolus, Urochondra):^[2]

• Crypsis arenaria – Phleum arenarium
• Crypsis dura – Urochondra setulosa
• Crypsis juncea – Sporobolus junceus
• Crypsis macroura – Muhlenbergia macroura
• Crypsis maritima – Sporobolus virginicus
• Crypsis myosurus – Sporobolus spicatus
• Crypsis phleoides – Muhlenbergia angustata
• Crypsis pygmaea – Rhizocephalus orientalis
• Crypsis setifolia – Muhlenbergia macroura
• Crypsis setulosa – Urochondra setulosa
• Crypsis squarrosa – Munroa squarrosa
• Crypsis stricta – Muhlenbergia angustata
• Crypsis virginica – Sporobolus virginicus