Plants cespitose, sometimes shortly stoloniferous. Culms 30-70
cm, compressed, sometimes branching from the upper nodes. Leaves mostly
basal;
sheaths keeled, strongly distichous and imbricate, often loose,
basal sheaths pubescent below; ligules to 0.6 mm, membranous; blades to
25 cm long, to 6 mm wide, flat or folded, basal blades glabrous. Rames 4-7
cm, straight to falcate; internodes 2-3 mm, clavate, shortly pubescent. Sessile
spikelets
4-5 mm, ovoid-oblong; calluses pubescent; lower glumes elliptic,
obscurely 7-9-veined, keeled, keels with conspicuous spines, basal spines
to 3 mm, those near the apices to 0.3 mm; upper glumes 3-5-veined,
keeled below;
lower florets staminate; anthers about 2 mm, yellow; upper
florets
bisexual. Pedicels to 3 mm. Pedicellate spikelets not differentiated.
2n = 36.
Eremochloa ciliaris is native to southeast Asia. It was collected in San
Francisco in the nineteenth century, but has not been reported since from the
Flora region.