Megalachne
Megalachne is a genus of Chilean plants in the grass family, found only on the Juan [Fernández Islands] in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Republic of Chile. It contains a single species, Megalachne berteroniana.
A genetic analysis found it to be most closely related to the extinct Podophorus, also endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago. This clade was in turn found to be nested within a paraphyletic Festuca, most closely related to F. pampeana of South America.
Several species formerly included in genus Megalachne are now considered synonyms of species placed in other genera:
- Megalachne dantonii – synonym of Festuca dolichathera
- Megalachne masafuerana Matthei – synonym of Festuca masafuerana
- Megalachne robinsoniana – synonym of Festuca robinsoniana
- Megalachne zeylanica - synonym of ''Eriachne triseta''