Nouv. Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. 2: 188 (1810); Gen. Gram.: 237 (1986).- Type-species: Eustachys petraea (Sw.) Desv.
Description:
* Annual or perennial. Leaves linear, usually obtuse; sheaths strongly keeled, flabellate; ligule a ciliate rim.
* Inflorescence a digitate head of 2 to many slender brown racemes, the spikelets closely packed, pectinate.
* Spikelets 2-flowered, the lower floret fertile, the upper smaller, male or sterile, the rhachilla terminating in a small clavate lemma. Glumes membranous, shorter than the floret, the upper obtuse to bilobed with a stout subapical awn. Fertile lemma broad, keeled, cartilaginous to coriaceous, dark brown, acute to emarginated, awnless or with a very short subapical awn-point; 2nd lemma shorter, often lacking a palea.
Genus with 10 species of tropical savannas, mainly New World.