AIRA PRjECOX. 77 



AIRA PR^COX. 



LINNAEUS. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. J. E. SMITH. PARNELL. BABINGTON. 



LINDLEY. GREVILLE. WILLDENOW. 

 CURTIS. KNAPP. GRAVES. SCHRADER. OEDER. EHRHART. 



PLATE XXIII. B. 



The Early Hair- Grass. 

 Aira To destroy. Prcecox Early. 



rT^HIS is a very early Grass, and of but little value; it grows on 

 -L sandy hills and wall tops. 



Tolerably abundant in England and Ireland, less common in Scot- 

 land. 



Found in France, Italy, Germany, and North America. 



This species is known from Aira caryophyllea by the close panicle, 

 which does not exceed half an inch in width. 



Stem circular, smooth, upright, and carrying four or five narrow 

 roughish leaves, with rough, striated, somewhat inflated sheaths. 

 Uppermost sheath longer than its leaf, and having at its apex a 

 lanceolate membranous ligule. Joints smooth. Inflorescence simple 

 panicled; greenish silvery colour. Panicle upright and close; branches 

 rough; rachis smooth. Spikelets of two awned florets, enclosed within 

 the calyx. Calyx composed of two equal and acute glumes, minutely 

 toothed on the keels, but destitute of lateral ribs. Florets of two 

 equal-sized paleae; exterior one of lowest floret bifid, base hairy, 

 obscurely five-ribbed, and having a lengthy, rough, slender awn rising 

 from slightly above the base, and extending half its length above the 

 apex of the palea. Inner one with margin minutely fringed, and 

 membranous. Root annual and fibrous. Length from four to six 

 inches. 



Flowers at the end of May, and is ripe in a month. 



