Flora of New Zealand Series

Type species: E. olivacea Stapf

Long-rhizomatous to tufted perennials. Ligule ± conspicuously hair-fringed. Leaf-blade usually disarticulating at maturity. Inflorescence spike-like or paniculate with sessile racemes; florets awnless. Racemes spike-like; rachis flattened, hollowed or winged, with close-set, secund, pedicelled spikelets, borne singly on the rachis or in appressed secondary racemelets, falling entire at maturity. Spikelets usually laterally compressed, 2-flowered; lower floret Ø, upper floret ⚥. Glumes very dissimilar; lower minute, hyaline, 0-3-nerved, upper membranous, = spikelet, 3-7-nerved. Lower floret: lemma ≈ or » lemma of upper floret, both lemmas either similar in texture to glumes, or firmer; palea 0. Upper floret: lemma conspicuously hairy, 3-5-nerved; palea ≤ lemma, nerves 2, well-separated; lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous, cuneate; stamens 3; ovary apex glabrous, styles subterminal, free; caryopsis dorsiventrally compressed, glabrous, embryo large, at least ⅓ length of caryopsis, hilum punctiform or shortly elliptic, < ½ length of caryopsis.

c. 5 spp. of tropical Africa and eastern Australia. Naturalised sp. 1.