SILVERY HAIR GRASS 



177 



The Silvery Hair Grass is a rupestral species, growing on rocky 

 pastures or barren moorlands, being a xerophyte, and partly ericetal. 

 With it one will find Harebells, Eyebright, and other lovers of dry 

 soil. 



It has a very loosely-rooted fibrous root. The stem is erect, terete, 

 striate, with 2-3 joints, tufted, decumbent at the base, rough above. 

 The leaves are bristle-like, short, blunt, rough, rigid, the edges in- 

 volute and narrow. The ligule is long, rough, and striate, with a 

 white membrane. 



The flowers are in a panicle, which is widely branched, with single 





I'lioto. A. K. Horw 



SILVERY HAIR GRASS (Aira caryophyllea, L.) 



flower-stalks, and divided into three parts. The spikelets are small, 

 egg-shaped, shining, rounded, purple below, the lower empty, egg- 

 shaped, and longer than the flowering glume. The awn is longer 

 than the glume, jointed, dorsal, twisted, originating from the middle of 

 the palea, which is divided into two nearly to the base. 



This grass is 6-8 in. high. The flower is in bloom in May, 

 June, and J-uly. It is annual, propagated by seed. 



The flowers are anemophilous. There are 3 stamens, and the 

 stigmas are feathery, as in other wind-fertilized flowers. The anther- 

 stalks are capillary. The anthers are oblong and forked at each end. 

 There are 2 styles. The fruit is light and attached to the glume and 

 palea, and is blown away readily by the wind. 



Silvery Hair Grass is a sand-loving plant and requires a sand soil. 



74 



