Annuals or perennials, caespitose, bisexual. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescences paniculate, sometimes almost reduced to a raceme of racemes, non-digitate, with spikelets secundly arranged or arranged all around the branch axes; branches ending in spikelets, persistent. Spikelets pedicellate, laterally compressed, 4-or more flowered, with 1–24 bisexual florets, with incomplete florets, disarticulating above the glumes; rachilla not disarticulating between florets (except E. danesii), with internodes distinctly elongated between the florets (the one above the glumes shorter than the rest). Glumes 2, usually very unequal, sometimes equal, shorter than the spikelet, awnless, carinate, 1–3-nerved. Lemmas entire or notched or 2-lobed, with at least the upper lemmas 1-awned (except sometimes in E. anomala and E. nervilemma), with the awn usually increasing in length acropetally in the spikelet, carinate, (1–) 3 (–7)-nerved, often scabrous or scaberulous, usually glabrous on body. Palea usually greater than half lemma length. Lodicules fleshy. Caryopsis ellipsoid or reniform, slightly laterally compressed; hilum short; pericarp fused; embryo large.
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