Fruct.& Sem. 1: 7, t. 1 (1788); Gen. Gram.: 221 (1986).- Type-species: E. coracana (Linn.) Gaertn.
Description:
* Annuals or tufted perennials from a short ascending rhizome. Leaves linear, usually folded; ligule membranous, often ciliate; sheaths strongly keeled.
* Inflorescence digitate or shortly racemose composed of several secund racemes with closely imbricate, biseriate spikelets clustered at the top of the culm.
* Spikelets many-flowered closely overlapping, disarticulating between the florets. Glumes keeled, persistent, shorter than the lemmas. Lemmas strongly keeled, membranous, glabrous, obtuse to acute. Caryopsis blackish (except E. coracana), ellipsoid and trigonous to subglobose.
Genus with 9 species, mainly E and NE Africa but one cosmopolitan weed.