Citation: Desv. ex P. Beauv., Agrost. 81 (1812).

Derivation: Greek ennea, nine; pogon, beard; alluding to the 9 plumose awns of the lemmas.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Bottle-washers.

Description:
Annuals or short-lived perennials, often with simple and glandular-tipped hairs on the culms, leaves and glumes; culms simple or often strongly branched, sometimes disarticulating at the nodes; blades linear to lanceolate, flat or involute, often tapered to a filiform or capillary apex; ligule ciliate.

Panicle loosely contracted, spike-like or capirate; sometimes reduced inflorescences or solitary cleistogamous spikelets also present in basal or upper axillary leaf sheaths; spikelet 3-8-flowered, the basal 1 rarely 4 fertile, those above neuter and often much reduced; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and tardily between the florets; glumes equal or subequal, rounded or somewhat flattened dorsally, membranous to coriaceous, muticous, few- to many-nerved; lowest lemma hardened or membranous, hairy, 9-nerved and apically 9-awned (rarely more), smooth or ribbed, transversely ciliate on the inner surface at the junction with the awns; awns simple, flattened, subequal in length and width, plumose on the edges in the lower half to three-quarters; palea often slightly longer than its lemma, membranous, glabrous or more often hairy on the body and the flaps, ciliate or scaberulous on keels, usually notched and ciliolate at the apex; lodicules cuneate, glabrous; caryopsis dorsiventrally compressed, smooth, shiny on maturity; embryo often almost as long as the grain itself; second lemma smaller than the basal one, often glabrous and smooth; rhachilla internode flattened or filiform, glabrous or hairy; upper florets usually reduced to the awns.

Distribution:  About 30 species, chiefly in Australia, but extending to Africa, Asia and the American continent. (N. T. Burbidge (1941) Proc. Linn. Soc., Lond. 153, pt 1:52-91; E. K. Z. Kakudidi (1984) M.Sc. Thesis, Aust. Nat. Univ., Canberra).

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Body of lowest lemma cartilaginous to hardened, the nerves (if visible) flattened or lightly corrugated; lower glume with usually more than 8 nerves
2. Body of lowest lemma with membranous or hyaline wings on the margins; palea wholly or partly glabrous between the keels
3. Lower glume 5-13-nerved; palea and hairs on the lemma sub-equal in length to the body of the lemma; keels of the palea scaberulous, winged and upturned; fertile floret 1	E. polyphyllus 8.
3. Lower glume 11-23-nerved; palea and hairs on the lemma much longer than the body of the lemma; keels of the palea long-ciliate, not winged or upturned; fertile florets 2-4	E. avenaceus 1.
2. Body of lowest lemma without wings, even in texture; palea pubescent between the keels; lower glume 7-16-nerved; hairs on the lemma longer than the body of the lemma; keels of the palea ciliate in the upper part, thickened or winged; fertile florets 2	E. intermedius 5.
1. Body of lowest lemma membranous, not winged, with ribbed nerves; lower glume with usually less than 8 nerves
4. Panicle 1-3 cm long, compact, capitate
5. Upper spikelets in each panicle usually longer than those below; axillary inflorescences and solitary cleistogamous spikelets present	E. caerulescens 2.
5. Spikelets similar in size throughout the panicle; axillary inflorescences and spikelets absent
6. Panicle 1-1.8 cm long; body of the first palea glabrous in the upper half to third; peripheral awns often with 2 nerves entering at their base; rhachilla of the second floret pubescent	E. oblongus 7.
6. Panicle 1.5-3 cm long; body of the first palea mostly hairy; awns 1-nerved; rhachilla of the second floret glabrous	E. clelandii 3.
4. Panicle 3-7 (rarely to 14) cm long, spike-like, continuous or interrupted
7. Culms disarticulating at the nodes; axillary inflorescences and solitary cleistogamous spikelets present; lowest lemma glabrous on the upper margins or almost so	E. cylindricus 4.
7. Culms not disarticulating; axillary inflorescences and spikelets absent; lowest lemma ciliate on the margins	E. nigricans 6.

Author: Prepared by E. K. Z. Kakudidi and M. Lazarides