Taxon: Anthoxanthum odoratum L.

Summary

Genus:

Anthoxanthum

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Pooideae

Tribe:

Poeae

Subtribe:

Anthoxanthinae

Nomen number:

3594

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:28. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

03/01/2007 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

28 (9 active, 1 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Anthoxanthum odoratum L. subsp. alpinum (Á. Löve & D. Löve) B. M. G. Jones & Melderis (0 active accession[s])
Anthoxanthum odoratum L. subsp. odoratum (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

No images

Links

Spikelets and/or florets – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning
Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Inst. Bot. V. L. Komarova, Acad. Sci. URSS. 1963-. Plantae asiae centralis.
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Li, H. L. et al., eds. 1975-1979. Flora of Taiwan.
Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:138.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	seq	Citation
English	scented vernal grass		1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	sweet vernal grass		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	sweet-scent vernal grass		1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Chinese	huang hua mao	黄花茅	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
French	flouve odorante		2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
French	foin d'odeur		2	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
German	gewöhnliches Ruchgras		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
German	Ruchgras		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italian	paleo odoroso		2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Japanese Rōmaji	harugaya		2	Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
Spanish	alesta olorosa		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	grama de olor		2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Swedish	vårbrodd		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	xiang huang hua mao		2	Li, H. L. et al., eds. 1975-1979. Flora of Taiwan.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Heilongjiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jilin Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Liaoning Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea, South			Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia	Eastern Siberia		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran		n.w.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Latvia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Lithuania			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Saratov		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:138.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Volgogradskaja oblast'		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:138.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Denmark			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Faroe Islands			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Finland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Iceland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Ireland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Norway			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Sweden			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bosnia and Herzegovina			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece		incl. Crete	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Montenegro			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Northern America		United States			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores		Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa			CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Mauritius			CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion			CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States		w.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	Micronesia			CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
4	Naturalized	Southern America		South America
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Central America

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Iran (n.w.), Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia], Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia [Eastern Siberia]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
CHINA: China [Heilongjiang Sheng, Jilin Sheng, Liaoning Sheng, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]
EASTERN ASIA: Japan, Korea, South

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, Faroe Islands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation [Saratov, Volgogradskaja oblast'], Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Cultivated
Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria

Northern America

REGION: United States

Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Portugal [Azores]
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Mauritius, Reunion

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Northern America

REGION: United States (w.)

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Central America
REGION: South America

Reference(s)

Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:138.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Materials	essential oils		Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Materials	essential oils		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Medicines	folklore		Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=3594. Accessed 11 May 2026.