Sp. Pl.: 972 (1753); Gram. Afr. Trop. 1: 316, fig. 253 (1962); Gen. Gram.: 373 (1986).- Type-species: Coix lacryma-jobi L.
* Annuals or perennials. Culms spongy or firm. Leaves linear ot lanceolate; ligule an eciliate membrane.
* Inflorescence with a male and a female inflorescence subtended by bony utricle and supported by the same modified spatheole, axillary, compound. Racemes single bearing a triad of spikelets; rhachis obscure. The fertile sessile female spikelet accompanied by 2 sterile or reduced spikelets; the male inflorescence a single pedunculate raceme.
* Sessile spikelet female with membranous glumes and lower floret reduced to a lemma. Male spikelets with muticous glumes and lemma.
Asiatic genus with 5 species of margins of forsts and swamps; one species ontroduced world-wide.