diff --git a/src/decaylanguage/data/README.rst b/src/decaylanguage/data/README.rst
index fead28c7..2b75e60f 100644
--- a/src/decaylanguage/data/README.rst
+++ b/src/decaylanguage/data/README.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ all generic particle decays.
 Lark parser grammar definition file for parsing .dec decay files.
 
 
+``descriptor.lark``
+------------------
+Lark parser grammar definition file for parsing decay descriptors, e.g. with ``DecayChain.from_string``.
+Note that alternative ``.lark`` files can be provided.
+See an example in ``tests/data/descriptor_alt.lark`` and ``tests/decay/test_descriptor.py``.
+
+
 ``MintDalitzSpecialParticles.fwf``
 ----------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/decaylanguage/data/descriptor.lark b/src/decaylanguage/data/descriptor.lark
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..199e2678
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/decaylanguage/data/descriptor.lark
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018-2026, Eduardo Rodrigues and Henry Schreiner.
+//
+// Distributed under the 3-clause BSD license, see accompanying file LICENSE
+// or https://github.com/scikit-hep/decaylanguage for details.
+%import common.WS_INLINE
+
+start: _ws decay _ws
+
+decay: particle _ws ARROW _ws daughters
+
+daughters: daughter (_sep daughter)* _ws
+
+daughter: particle
+        | sub_decay
+
+particle: PHEAD psuffix*
+sub_decay: LPAR _ws decay RPAR
+
+// Terminals
+ARROW.2: "->"
+LPAR: "("
+RPAR: ")"
+
+psuffix: PCHUNK | pgroup_paren
+pgroup_paren: "(" _ws PCHUNK _ws ")"
+
+PHEAD: /[A-Za-z0-9~][A-Za-z0-9\/\-+*_.'~]*/
+PCHUNK: /[A-Za-z0-9\/\-+*_.'~]+/
+
+_sep: WS_INLINE+
+_ws: WS_INLINE*
diff --git a/src/decaylanguage/decay/decay.py b/src/decaylanguage/decay/decay.py
index cce4e5e9..191cfdcf 100644
--- a/src/decaylanguage/decay/decay.py
+++ b/src/decaylanguage/decay/decay.py
@@ -11,12 +11,15 @@
 from collections.abc import Collection, Iterator, Sequence
 from copy import deepcopy
 from itertools import product
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, NoReturn, TypedDict
 
+from lark import Lark, LarkError, Token, Transformer
 from particle import PDGID, ParticleNotFound
 from particle.converters import EvtGenName2PDGIDBiMap
 from particle.exceptions import MatchingIDNotFound
 
+from .. import data
 from .._compat.typing import Self
 from ..utils import DescriptorFormat, charge_conjugate_name
 
@@ -462,6 +465,18 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return repr(self)
 
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(other, DecayMode):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return (
+            self.bf == other.bf
+            and self.daughters == other.daughters
+            and self.metadata == other.metadata
+        )
+
+    def __hash__(self) -> int:
+        raise TypeError(f"unhashable type: '{type(self).__name__}'")
+
 
 def _has_no_subdecay(ds: list[Any]) -> bool:
     """
@@ -752,6 +767,94 @@ def _expand_decay_modes(
     return expanded_modes
 
 
+class _DescriptorTreeToDict(Transformer):  # type: ignore[misc]
+    """Map a parsed descriptor tree into a ``DecayChainDict`` structure."""
+
+    def start(self, items: list[Any]) -> DecayChainDict:
+        # start: decay
+        return typing.cast(DecayChainDict, items[0])
+
+    def particle(self, items: list[Any]) -> str:
+        # particle: PHEAD psuffix*
+        # Rebuild full particle name from head + suffixes
+        return "".join(self._item_text(i) for i in items if not self._is_ws(i))
+
+    def psuffix(self, items: list[Any]) -> str:
+        # psuffix: PCHUNK | pgroup_paren
+        # Return the only significant piece
+        for item in items:
+            if not self._is_ws(item):
+                return self._item_text(item)
+        return ""
+
+    def pgroup_paren(self, items: list[Any]) -> str:
+        # pgroup_paren: "(" _ws PCHUNK _ws ")"
+        inner = "".join(
+            self._item_text(i)
+            for i in items
+            if not self._is_ws(i) and not self._is_paren_token(i)
+        )
+        return f"({inner})"
+
+    def daughter(self, items: list[Any]) -> str | DecayChainDict:
+        # daughter: particle | sub_decay
+        return typing.cast(str | DecayChainDict, items[0])
+
+    def daughters(self, items: list[Any]) -> list[str | DecayChainDict]:
+        # daughters: daughter+
+        return [
+            item
+            for item in items
+            if not isinstance(item, Token) and isinstance(item, (str, dict))
+        ]
+
+    def sub_decay(self, items: list[Any]) -> DecayChainDict:
+        # sub_decay: LPAR decay RPAR
+        for item in items:
+            if isinstance(item, dict):
+                return item
+        raise ValueError("Malformed sub-decay in parse tree")
+
+    def decay(self, items: list[Any]) -> DecayChainDict:
+        # decay: particle ARROW daughters
+        mother: str | None = None
+        daughters: list[str | DecayChainDict] | None = None
+
+        for item in items:
+            if isinstance(item, Token):
+                # Ignore punctuation and whitespace tokens.
+                continue
+            if isinstance(item, str) and mother is None:
+                mother = item
+            elif isinstance(item, list):
+                daughters = item
+
+        if not mother or not daughters:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Malformed decay in parse tree. Parsing result: {mother=}, {daughters=}"
+            )
+
+        mode: DecayModeDict = {
+            "bf": 1.0,
+            "fs": daughters,
+            "model": "",
+            "model_params": "",
+        }
+        return {mother: [mode]}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _is_ws(item: Any) -> bool:
+        return isinstance(item, Token) and item.type == "WS_INLINE"
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _is_paren_token(item: Any) -> bool:
+        return isinstance(item, Token) and item.type in {"LPAR", "RPAR"}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _item_text(item: Any) -> str:
+        return str(item.value) if isinstance(item, Token) else str(item)
+
+
 class DecayChain:
     """
     Class holding a particle (single) decay chain, which is typically a top-level decay
@@ -816,6 +919,72 @@ def from_dict(cls, decay_chain_dict: DecayChainDict) -> Self:
 
         return cls(mother, decay_modes)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def from_string(
+        cls,
+        descriptor: str,
+        *,
+        grammar_file: str | Path | None = None,
+    ) -> Self:
+        """
+        Construct a ``DecayChain`` by parsing a descriptor string.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        descriptor : str
+            The decay descriptor string, e.g.
+            ``"D*+ -> (D0 -> K+ pi-) pi+"``.
+        grammar_file : str or Path, optional
+            Path to a custom Lark grammar file for descriptor parsing.
+            The default grammar file is ``decaylanguage/data/descriptor.lark``.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        DecayChain
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        ValueError
+            If the descriptor string is malformed.
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        >>> dc = DecayChain.from_string("D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)")
+        >>> dc.mother
+        'D0'
+        >>> len(dc.decays)
+        3
+        """
+
+        # Load the grammar
+        if grammar_file is None:
+            # Use the default descriptor grammar from the data package
+            grammar = data.basepath.joinpath("descriptor.lark").read_text(
+                encoding="utf-8"
+            )
+        else:
+            # Use custom grammar file
+            if isinstance(grammar_file, str):
+                grammar_file = Path(grammar_file)
+            grammar = grammar_file.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+        # Parse the descriptor
+        try:
+            parser = Lark(grammar, parser="lalr", transformer=None, lexer="auto")
+            tree = parser.parse(descriptor)
+        except LarkError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Failed to parse descriptor '{descriptor}': {e}") from e
+
+        # Transform to a DecayChainDict
+        try:
+            decay_chain_dict = _DescriptorTreeToDict().transform(tree)
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Failed to transform parse tree into decay chain: {e}"
+            ) from e
+
+        return cls.from_dict(decay_chain_dict)
+
     def top_level_decay(self) -> DecayMode:
         """
         Return the top-level decay as a ``DecayMode`` instance.
@@ -1064,3 +1233,11 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return repr(self)
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(other, DecayChain):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return self.mother == other.mother and self.decays == other.decays
+
+    def __hash__(self) -> int:
+        raise TypeError(f"unhashable type: '{type(self).__name__}'")
diff --git a/tests/data/descriptor_alt.lark b/tests/data/descriptor_alt.lark
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc470d4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/descriptor_alt.lark
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018-2026, Eduardo Rodrigues and Henry Schreiner.
+//
+// Distributed under the 3-clause BSD license, see accompanying file LICENSE
+// or https://github.com/scikit-hep/decaylanguage for details.
+
+// Alternative decay descriptor parsing grammar demonstrating different parentheses and arrows
+
+start: decay
+
+decay: particle ARROW daughters
+
+daughters: daughter+
+
+daughter: particle
+        | sub_decay
+
+particle: PARTICLE
+
+sub_decay: LPAR decay RPAR
+
+// Terminals
+ARROW: "=>"
+LPAR: "{"
+RPAR: "}"
+
+// Particle names start with alphanumeric/underscore and can then include
+// common descriptor suffix symbols such as +, -, *, ', and ~.
+PARTICLE: /[A-Za-z0-9_][A-Za-z0-9_+*'~̄-]*/
+
+%import common.WS
+%ignore WS
diff --git a/tests/decay/test_descriptor.py b/tests/decay/test_descriptor.py
index a7b4e592..2aeb5092 100644
--- a/tests/decay/test_descriptor.py
+++ b/tests/decay/test_descriptor.py
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import copy
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import pytest
 
 from decaylanguage import DecayChain, DecayMode
@@ -21,27 +24,76 @@
 dm9b = DecayMode(0.154, "pi+ pi- pi0")  #  phi
 
 
+EXAMPLES = [
+    (
+        DecayChain("D0", {"D0": dm2, "K_S0": dm3, "pi0": dm4}),
+        "D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)",
+    ),
+    (
+        DecayChain("D*+", {"D*+": dm1, "D0": dm2, "K_S0": dm3, "pi0": dm4}),
+        "D*+ -> (D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)) pi+",
+    ),
+    (
+        DecayChain("B0", {"B0": dm5, "D-": dm6, "tau+": dm7}),
+        "B0 -> (D- -> K+ pi- pi-) (tau+ -> anti-nu_tau pi+ pi+ pi-) nu_tau",
+    ),
+    (
+        DecayChain("B_s0", {"B_s0": dm8, "phi": dm9a, "phi'": dm9b}),
+        "B_s0 -> (phi -> K+ K-) (phi' -> pi+ pi- pi0)",
+    ),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("dc", "expected"), EXAMPLES)
+def test_descriptor_formatter(dc: DecayChain, expected: str):
+    descriptor = dc.to_string()
+    assert descriptor == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("expected", "desc"), EXAMPLES)
+def test_descriptor_parser(expected: DecayChain, desc: str):
+    result = DecayChain.from_string(desc)
+    # Branching fractions are not deduced from the descriptor
+    # We set them explicitly to 1.0 as a known difference
+    expected = copy.deepcopy(expected)
+    for mode in expected.decays.values():
+        mode.bf = 1.0
+    assert result == expected
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    ("dc", "expected"),
+    ("conventional", "alternative"),
     [
         (
-            DecayChain("D0", {"D0": dm2, "K_S0": dm3, "pi0": dm4}),
-            "D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)",
-        ),
-        (
-            DecayChain("D*+", {"D*+": dm1, "D0": dm2, "K_S0": dm3, "pi0": dm4}),
             "D*+ -> (D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)) pi+",
+            "D*+ => {D0 => {K_S0 => pi+ pi-} {pi0 => gamma gamma}} pi+",
         ),
         (
-            DecayChain("B0", {"B0": dm5, "D-": dm6, "tau+": dm7}),
             "B0 -> (D- -> K+ pi- pi-) (tau+ -> anti-nu_tau pi+ pi+ pi-) nu_tau",
-        ),
-        (
-            DecayChain("B_s0", {"B_s0": dm8, "phi": dm9a, "phi'": dm9b}),
-            "B_s0 -> (phi -> K+ K-) (phi' -> pi+ pi- pi0)",
+            "B0 => {D- => K+ pi- pi-} {tau+ => anti-nu_tau pi+ pi+ pi-} nu_tau",
         ),
     ],
 )
-def test_descriptor(dc: DecayChain, expected: str):
-    descriptor = dc.to_string()
-    assert descriptor == expected
+def test_descriptor_parser_alternative(conventional: str, alternative: str):
+    result = DecayChain.from_string(
+        alternative,
+        grammar_file=Path(__file__).parent.parent / "data" / "descriptor_alt.lark",
+    )
+    expected = DecayChain.from_string(conventional)
+    assert result == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "descriptor",
+    [
+        "D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)",
+        "D*+ -> (D0 -> (K_S0 -> pi+ pi-) (pi0 -> gamma gamma)) pi+",
+        "B0 -> (D- -> K+ pi- pi-) (tau+ -> anti-nu_tau pi+ pi+ pi-) nu_tau",
+        "B_s0 -> (phi -> K+ K-) (phi' -> pi+ pi- pi0)",
+    ],
+)
+def test_from_string_to_string(descriptor: str):
+    dc = DecayChain.from_string(descriptor)
+    # Verify that we can round-trip: string -> chain -> string
+    result = dc.to_string()
+    assert result == descriptor