pharus

Pharus is a genus name that has been used in biological classification to refer to more than one group of organisms. The most commonly cited and enduring use is in botany, where Pharus refers to a small genus of grasses in the Poaceae family native to tropical regions of the Americas. In botanical literature, Pharus is treated as a distinct genus by some authorities, while others have placed its species in related genera as taxonomic revisions have progressed. The plants assigned to Pharus are grasses, and their inclusion in this genus reflects particular shared morphological characteristics recognized by taxonomists.

Taxonomic history and status are variable across sources. Like many plant genera, Pharus has experienced shifts in circumscription as new evidence from morphology and, more recently, molecular data informs classifications. Some classifications recognize a limited number of species within Pharus, whereas others have expanded or reduced the genus as part of broader efforts to resolve relationships among tropical grasses. Because taxonomic opinions differ, the exact species composition of Pharus can vary depending on the authority cited.

In zoological and historical contexts, the name Pharus has appeared in older or less widely used classifications for certain animal groups. Such usages are largely superseded by current nomenclature, and the plant-focused sense of Pharus remains the most consistently referenced in contemporary sources.

See also: Pharos, the ancient lighthouse; disambiguation pages for Pharus in other biological groups. Further references in taxonomic databases can clarify the status of Pharus across specific classifications.