Id. Rev. Gräser: 36, 59 (1813), nom cons.; Gen. Gram.: 241 (1986).- Type-species : Ctenium carolinianum Panz. = Ctenium aromaticum (Walt.) Wood.
Campulosus Desv., Nouv. Bull. Sei. Soc. Philom. 2:189 (1810) nom rejic.
Description:
* Tufted annuals or perennials. Leaves flat or involute, often aromatic; ligule membranous, very short.
* Inflorescence solitary or digitate one-sided terminal racemes. Spikelets in two rows.
* Spikelets laterally compressed, with two sterile florets at the base, a fertile in the middle and 1 or more sterile florets above. Glumes herbaceous with awn point, the upper also a obliquely awned from the back. Fertile lemma long-awned from the back or near the tip, ciliate. Caryopsis ovoid to ellipsoid.
The genus has 17 species, throughout the tropics.