Ess. Agrost. 53 (1812); Gen. Gram.: 280 (1986).- Type-species: Echinochloa crus-galli (Linn.) P. Beauv.
Description:
* Annual or perennial. Culms often coarse and robust. Leaves flat, linear or broadly linear; ligule absent or ciliate.
* Inflorescence composed of racemes along a central axis. Racemes simple or compound, densely spiculate, spikelets paired in 4 rows, or congested on secondary racemes.
* Spikelets narrowly elliptic to sub rotund, plump, often hispidulous or spinulose, acute to awned. Lower glume triangular; upper glume and lower lemma equaling the spikelet or upper glume somewhat shorter in cultivated forms, prominently 5-7-veined, acute to rostrate or lower lemma extended into a stout awn. Upper lemma coriaceous, smooth, shining, terminating in a short, laterally compressed, incurving beak; upper palea acute, apex briefly reflexed.
The genus is a complicated genus with 30-40 species; in water or damp places, weed..