Derivation
Eriochloa Kunth, in F.W.H.A.Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 94 (1816); from the Greek erion (wool) and chloa (grass), referring to the hairy spikelets and pedicels.

meyeriana- in honour of Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (1791–1858). German botanist who collected in South Africa.

Published in
Pflanzenfam. 2nd edn, 14E: 56 (1940).

Habit
Perennial. Culms decumbent or sprawling, 30–200 cm tall, rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–25 cm long, 3–15 mm wide.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open, elliptic, 8–18 cm long, contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches secund. Raceme 10–30, unilateral, 2–7 cm long, secondarily branched, secondary branches racemulose. Central inflorescence axis 8–18 cm long. Rhachis angular, puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing adaxial, irregular.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary or in pairs. Pedicels oblong, 1–2 mm long. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret sterile or male, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, elliptic, dorsally compressed, acute, 2.3–3.5 mm long, falling entire. Spikelet callus globular, incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume, glabrous.

Glumes
Glumes two, dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate or ovate (rarely), 0.5(–2) mm long, 15–20(–50)% of length of spikelet, hyaline, 0-nerved. Lower glume apex truncate or cuspidate. Upper glume ovate, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 5-nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Basal sterile floret 1, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume, ovate, 90% of length of spikelet, 5-nerved, glabrous or pubescent, acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, 1.5–2.2 mm long, indurate. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse, mucronate. Palea involute, indurate.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland: North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Wide Bay, Moreton.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Paniceae

Notes
Introduced.