''Desmostachya'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of grass in the family

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

. It is native to Africa and Asia.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Desmostachya'' was originally published as ''Eragrostis'' sect. ''Desmostachya'' in ''The Flora of British India'' 7: 324. 1897. Somehow two prominent botanists,

Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For 20 years he served as director of the Ro ...

(1817–1911) and Otto Stapf (1857–1933), were originally each credited separately as the naming authority for the taxon (the type specimen for this section of ''Eragrostis'' being '' Eragrostis cynosuroides'' ( Retz.) P.Beauv., itself based on a previous species taxon, ''Poa cynosuroides'' Retz.). It is generally accepted that ''Eragrostis'' sect. ''Desmostachya'' Hook.f. is the correct name for the taxon. However, ''E.'' sect. ''Desmostachya'' Stapf is accepted as the

basionym In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both botan ...

for the genus name ''Desmostachya''. A year after it was published as a section of ''Eragrostis'', ''Desmostachya'' was published as a genus in its own right in ''Flora Capensis'' 7: 316. 1898. Two species are recognized: * '' Desmostachya bipinnata'' (L.) Stapf (commonly known variously as, Kusha grass, Kusa grass, or Darbha Grass ) * '' Desmostachya cynosuroides'' Stapf ''ex'' Massey : List source :

References

External links

Grassbase - The World Online Grass Flora
Poaceae genera Chloridoideae {{Chloridoideae-stub