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common silver-hairgrass, silver hair grass, silvery hairgrass

Habit Plants annual; tufted.
Culms

4.5-55 cm, erect.

Sheaths

scabridulous, occasionally smooth;

ligules 1.2-8 mm, abaxial surfaces scabridulous, acute to subobtuse, becoming lacerate;

blades 0.3-13.5 cm long, 0.3-2.5 mm wide, antrorsely scabridulous, glabrous, apices prow-tipped.

Panicles

1.2-13.5 cm long, 1.5-10 cm wide, open;

primary branches to 7.3 cm, ascending to divergent, antrorsely scabridulous, occasionally smooth;

pedicels 0.9-11.3 mm, apices enlarged.

Spikelets

1.7-3.3(3.5) mm, silvery-green to stramineous or purplish;

rachillas usually not prolonged beyond the base of the distal floret, sometimes prolonged, vestigial.

Glumes

subequal to equal, 1.3-3.3(3.5) mm, scabridulous on the upper 1/2;

callus hairs 0.2-0.4 mm;

lemmas 1.3-2.6 mm, apices bifid, sometimes only the upper lemma awned, awns 2.1-3.9 mm, straight or geniculate;

paleas 0.9-1.7 mm;

anthers 0.2-0.5 mm.

Caryopses

0.9-1.5 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, abaxial surfaces grooved in the distal 1/2, adaxial surfaces grooved the entire length.

2n

= 14.

Aira caryophyllea

Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WY; HI; BC; NS; YT
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Discussion

Aira caryophyllea is native to Eurasia and Africa; it has become established in the Flora region, primarily on the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic coasts, and through much of the southeastern United States. It is usually found in disturbed areas, in vernally moist to dry, sandy to rocky, open sites, from sea level to subalpine elevations. It sometimes invades lawns or rock gardens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Glumes subobtuse, usually denticulate, often mucronate; pedicels with abruptly thickened apices
var. cupaniana
1. Glumes acute; pedicels gradually thickening to the apices.
→ 2
2. Pedicels usually 2-8 times as long as the spikelets; spikelets 1.7-2.5 mm long
var. capillaris
2. Pedicels usually 1-2 times as long as the spikelets; spikelets 2-3.5 mm long
var. caryophyllea
Source FNA vol. 24, p. 615.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Aira
Sibling taxa
A. praecox
Subordinate taxa
A. caryophyllea var. capillaris, A. caryophyllea var. caryophyllea, A. caryophyllea var. cupaniana
Name authority L.
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