Fan grass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fan grass |
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| Eustachys petraea Midway Atoll, Pacific Ocean |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subtribe: | Eleusininae |
| Genus: | Eustachys |
| Type species | |
| Eustachys petraea |
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Eustachys is a group of plants often called fan grass or fingergrass. These plants are part of the grass family. You can mostly find them in warm places around the world, especially in the Americas. Some species also grow in Africa and Asia.
Contents
What are Eustachys Plants?
Eustachys plants are a type of genus in the grass family. This means they are a group of closely related grass species. They are known for their unique shape, which often looks like a fan or fingers spreading out.
These grasses are very common in tropical and subtropical areas. This includes places with warm weather all year round or very hot summers and mild winters.
Where Do They Grow?
Most Eustachys plants are native to the warmer parts of the Americas. This means they naturally grew there before people moved them to other places. You can find them in many countries across North America and South America.
A few types of Eustachys also grow naturally in parts of Africa and Asia. Some species have even spread to other areas, like various Pacific Islands, because their seeds were carried there.
Common Species of Eustachys
There are many different kinds of Eustachys plants. Here are a few examples and where they are found:
- Eustachys petraea: This species is found in the United States (like Florida, Texas, and Georgia), Mexico, the West Indies, Central America, and South America. It has also spread to islands like Hawaii and Midway Atoll.
- Eustachys distichophylla: You can find this grass in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It has also started growing in parts of the United States.
- Eustachys paspaloides: This type grows in Oman, Yemen, and across eastern and southern Africa, from Eritrea all the way to South Africa.
- Eustachys floridana: As its name suggests, this species is found in the southeastern United States, including Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
Former Species of Eustachys
Sometimes, scientists change how they classify plants. This means a plant that was once thought to be in the Eustachys group might be moved to a different genus if new information is discovered.
For example, some plants that used to be called Eustachys are now part of the Chloris genus or the Ornithogalum genus. This helps scientists keep plant families organized based on their shared features.
See also
In Spanish: Eustachys para niños
Images for kids
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This image shows the open flowers (florets) on a spikelet of Eustachys paspaloides. You can see the white anthers (which hold pollen) below and the feathery stigmas (which collect pollen) above.
