真穗草屬

Perennials; culms erect or creeping; sheaths compressed and keeled, more or less imbricate; ligule usually not well develop. Blade flat, with the apex obtuse. Inflorescence of 2-several digitately arranged terminal spikes. Spikelets 2-flowered, the lower bisexual, the upper sterile, sessile, 1 or 2 rows imbricate along one side of rachis; glumes nearly equal, persistent, 1-nerved, awnless or upper glume with pointed short awn; lowest lemma thick, brown in color, laterally compressed; obtuse or mucronate at the apex; palea membranous, nearly equal to the lemma, the upper lemma smaller, truncate at the apex or bar-shaped, sunken in the cavity of the lower lemma.

About twelve species distributed in the tropical America, West Indies, tropical South Africa.

Only one species is found in Taiwan.

Lower Taxon

• Eustachys tener (Presl) A. Camus