JOG TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Aira. 



smooth, a span high, more or less, often inclining, with several 

 joints j leafy at the lower part. Leaves very numerous, chiefly 

 radical, in dense tufts, erect, triangular, extremely slender, 

 glaucous, minutely downy. Stipula lanceolate, decurrent. Pani- 

 cle I to 2 inches long, spreading when in full bloom, but other- 

 wise rather close. Fl. small, variegated with purple, white, and 

 a glaucous green. Anth. dark purple. The most peculiar cha- 

 racter exists in the aun, whose lower half is twisted ; the upper 

 straight and club-shaped ; the joint surrounded with a whorl of 

 minute bristles. 



7. A. pracox. Early Hair-grass. 



Panicle close, erect. Florets the length of the calyx, both 

 sessile. Awn nearly twice as long, from the base of the 

 valve. Leaves bristle- shaped, with angular sheaths. 



A. prsecox. Linn. Sp. PL 97. Willd. v. 1. 380. Fl. Br. 87. Engl. 

 Bot.v. 18. t. 1296. Curt. Lond. fasc. 3. t. 7. Knapp t. 36. 

 Graves Br. Gr. t. 44. Hook. Scot. 30. Schracl. Germ. v. 1 . 262. 

 Fl. Dan. t. 383. Ehrh. Phyt. 81. 



Gramen parvum prsecox, spica. laxa canescente. Pink. Aim. \77. 

 Phyt. t.33.f.9. RaiiSyn.407. t.22.f.2. 



G. minimum, spica brevi habitiore, nostrum. Raii Syn. ed. 2. 253. 

 Scheuchz. Agr. 219. 



Common on dry gravelly ground. 



Annual. May, June. 



Root of numerous long capillary fibres. Stems several, tufted, from 

 2 to 5 inches high, simple, erect, leafy, smooth. Leaves short, 

 bluntish, narrow, channelled, pale green, roughish, with tumid, 

 angular, smooth sheaths. Stipula lanceolate, closely embracing 

 the stem. Panicle erect, an inch long, compound, with angular 

 rough stalks. Fl. large in proportion to the panicle, pale green 

 or purplish. Cal. with a rough keel. Cor. smooth, except at the 

 very bottom, just above which the jointed awn of the outer 

 valve of each floret originates, and extends almost twice the 

 length of the calyx. Anth. small, pale. Stignu feathery, nearly 

 sessile. Seed cylindrical, clothed with the membranous cloven - 

 pointed corolla, which is minutely bristly at the base. 



This trifling grass is of no agricultural use. It withers away as 

 summer comes on. 



8. A. caryophyllea. Silver Hair-grass. 



Panicle spreading, triple-forked. Florets not longer than 

 the calyx, both sessile. Awn twice as long, from above 

 the middle of the valve. Leaves bristle- shaped, with 

 ribbed close sheaths. 



A. caryophyllea. Linn. Sp. PI. 97. Willd. v. 1 . 380. Fl. Br. 88. 



