Aira pr^cox. 
Early Hair-Grass. 
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AIRA Limi. Get:. FI. Tkiandria Digitnia. 
Cal 2-valvis, 2-Horus. FlofcuU abfque hiteijefto rufimento. 
Rail Syn. Gen. ZJ. Heebje ohaminifoli* flore imperfecto cclmifer*. 
AIRA follis fctaccis; vaginis angulatis, floribus paniculato fpicatis, flofculis bafi ariftatis. 
Linn^el Syf. Vegetah. p. 96. 
GRAMEN paiiiculatum rnimmum molle. Bo/. Monfp. App. 
GRAMEN parvum pra:cox panicula (potius fpica) laxa canefcente. Rmi Syn. ed. ^.p. 408. tab. 2. 
GRAMEN avenaceum, capillaceum, mliumls glumis minimum. Breynn. 
GRAMEN phalaroides, fparfa panicula minimum anguftifolium. Barrel Ic. 44. i. iab, iv- fig. 15. 
Lighifoot. FI Scot, p. 95* 
Hudfon, FI Angi 31. ed. 2. p. 36. 
Oeder. FI Dan. 383. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. | 
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CULMI plures, fimplices, bi aut triunciales, femipe- j 
dales etiam occurrunt, teretes, l«ves, erefti. | 
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FOLIA radicalia feplus linearia, convoluta, marcida; | 
caulina vagina breviora, fubere£la, paululum $ 
recurvata, obtuliufcula; Membrefna pto rztione | 
folii longa, alba, culmum circumvolvens, in 
plantis adhuc tenellis notatu digna ; Fagina | 
Rriata, fubventricofa. | 
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PANICULA coardata, fpiciformis, mollis, femiunci- ^ 
alis, aut uncialis. | 
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SPICULaE biflorae, biariftatze, /g-. i. au£l. | 
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CALYX: Gluma bivalvis, valvulajfubsquales, ovato- | 
acuti£, fubmembranacese, carina ad lentem | 
fcabra, fg. 2. | 
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COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvula fubasquales, | 
longitudine calycis, altera majori, bicufpida- ^ 
ta, ariftatS ; arifta infra medium glumas po- t 
lita, corolla duplo longior, plerumque refta, | 
h’ h 5- I 
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STAMINA: Filament a tria, capillaria, breviffima : | 
AntheRbE minima, flavefcentes, 4. tj: 
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PISTILLUM; Germen oblongum': Styli duo, ad | 
bafin ufque ramoli. | 
SEMEN oblongum, hinc convexum inde concavum, | 
bicufpidatum, ariftatum, bafi pilofum,_/^. 6, 7. | 
ROOT annual, and fibrous. 
STALKS feveral, fimple, from two to three inches, 
fometimes even to fix inches high, round, 
fmooth, and upright. 
LEAVES, near the root generally linear, rolled up, 
and withered ; thofe of the Ralk Ihorter than 
theflieath, nearly upright, but bending a lit- 
tle back, and fomewhat blunt ; the Membrane, 
for the fize of the leaf, long, white, furround- 
ing the ftem, ftrikingly confpicuous in the 
plant while young ; the Sheath finely grooved, 
and bellying a little in the middle. 
PANICLE clofed together, and refembliug a fpike, 
foft, half an inch or an inch in length. 
SPICULiE containing two flowers, each of which has 
an arifta, jig. i , magnified. 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, the valves nearly 
equal, oval, and pointed, fomewhat mem- 
branous, the keel appearing rough when 
magnified, jig. 2. 
COROLLA ; a Glume of two valves, nearly equal, 
of the length of the calyx, one of which is 
larger than the other, terminated by two long 
points, and furiiiftied with an arifta ; the a- 
rifta growing out from below the middle of 
the glume, twice the length of the corolla, 
and generally ftrait, jig. 3, 3. 
STAMINA : three Filaments, fine, and very fhort : 
AntherjE very minute, and yellowifti,_;^, 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen o'blong : Styles two, and 
branched to the bottom, 
SEED oblong, convex on one fide, and hollow on the 
other, having two points, with an arifta, 
hairy at bottom, jig. 6, 7. 
THE Aira pracox is very common on moft of our heaths about town, particularly on Black-heath. 
It flowers in April and May, and ripens its feed in June. 
ScHEucHZER mentions its growing fometimes to the height of fourteen Inches, a height it rarely attains with us. 
