Common name
Spring Grass
Cup Grass

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.

procera- Latin for tall. Culms tall.

Published in
Bull. Misc. Inform. 256 (1930).

Habit
Annual or perennial, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 20–120 cm tall. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.7–1.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–40 cm long, 2–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins smooth or scabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 3–10, unilateral, 2–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–20 cm long. Rhachis angular, puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing regular, 2-rowed.

Spikelets
Spikelets in pairs. Pedicels free or fused to each other, united below, oblong, glabrous. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret sterile or male, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, lanceolate, dorsally compressed, cuspidate or acuminate, (2.5–)3–4 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, falling entire. Spikelet callus globular, incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume, glabrous.

Glumes
Glume 1 (the lower absent or obscure), thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic, 2.8–3.7 mm long, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 5-nerved. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute or acuminate, muticous.

Florets
Basal sterile floret 1, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume, elliptic, 2.8–3.8 mm long, 90% of length of spikelet, 5-nerved, pubescent, acute or acuminate, muticous. Fertile lemma elliptic, 1.7–2.2 mm long, indurate. Lemma surface granulose, rugulose or rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse, mucronate. Median (principal) awn 0.3–0.5 mm long overall. Palea involute, indurate. Anthers 1.3–1.5 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific, South America.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales.

Western Australia: Gardner, Fortescue, Carnarvon, Irwin. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook, Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, Moreton, Gregory North, Mitchell, Warrego. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, North-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Paniceae

Notes
Native. Flowers sporadically throughout the year.