Vahlodea is a monotypic genus of plants in the grass family. The only known species is Vahlodea atropurpurea [1]
Its native range is the subarctic (such as Greenland), to temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere. From (Europe within; Finland, North European Russia, Norway and Sweden,) to Asia within (Japan, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands, Magadan and Taiwan,) and in North America (within the Canadian provinces of; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Québec and Yukon and within the USA states of; Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming,) and also southern South America (within Argentina and Chile).[1]
The genus name of Vahlodea is in honour of Jens Vahl (1796–1854), a Danish botanist and pharmacist.[2] The Latin specific epithet of atropurpurea means "dark-purple coloured".[3] Both the genus and the sole species were first described and published in Bot. Not. (1842) Vol.141 on page 178 in 1842.[1]
The genus is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service, and they list Vahlodea atropurpurea as the known species.[4]
It was thought to be a synonym of Deschampsia,[5] [6] but a 2007 molecular phylogenetic study supported the recognition of Avenella and Vahlodea.[4]