Aira C aryophylle a. 
Silver Hair-Grass. 
AIRA. Linn. G'l. PI. Triandria Digynia. 
Cal. 2-valvis, 2-florus. Fh/culU bl^ue interjeBo ruimento. 
RaiiSvn Gin. 27- Herba! GRAMINIFOEI.E FIORE IMPERFECTO CULMIFE R -E- 
AXRA ***** H* fe.aceis, panicula divaricata, flonbus ariftaris diftanubus. Lin, Syjt. Ve.em . 
p. 112. Sp.Pl-p. 97 ’ 
AVENA diantha, folds fetaceis, panicula divaricata. Halkr Hif. n. 1482- 
AIRA folds fetaceis, panicula trichotoma, floribus ariftatis divergentibus. Huifon FI. An g l. el 2. p. 3 • 
CARYOPHYLLUS arvenfis glaber minimus. Bauh. Pm. 210. 
GRAMEN panicularum purpuro-argenteum, locuftis parvis annuum. FUJI. O, III. 200. ,. 5 - f »• 
GRAMEN panicularum, locuftis purpuro-argentets annpum. Raii Sy, p. 407. Small annual fair- 
panicled Grafs. 
• • , r ; v x ROOT annual fibrous, fibres few, penetrating but a 
RADIX annua, fibrofa, fibris paucis, interram _ f) little way into the earth, whence the plant 
defcendentibus, unde plantula venti impetu | ‘ ‘, he v f oIence Q f the wind, is eafily forced 
t’eifilp eruitur. a i „f rrmnnrl 
facile eruitur. 
CULMUS ereftusj fpithamteus, et ultra, teres, ftriatus, 
foliatus, bitrinodis. 
FOLIA fetacea, brevia, rigidula, convoluta, ereEta, 
glauca, obtufiufcula : Vagmx long*, ftnats, 
lcabriufculEe, marginibus membranaceis albi- 
dis ; Membrana magna, acuminata, demum 
bifida. 
PANICULA divaricata; Pedunculi folitarii, in culta 
planta plerumque gemini, longi, ramoli, tri- 
fidi, glabri ; Pedicelli breves, parum flexuoli ; 
Flores diftantes. 
CALYX : Gluma biflora, bivalvis, valvulis ovato-lan- 
ceolatis, acutis, aqualibus, albidis, nitidis, 
bafi fubpurpurafcentibus, jig. l. 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvulae felfiles, fubaequales, 
calyce vix breviores, virefcentes, acutae, 
exteriore ariftata, jig. 2. Arijla prope bafin 
egrediens, refta, alba, calyce dimidio lon- 
gior, jig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta 3, capillaria, longitudine 
fere floris; Anthers oblongae, utnnque 
furcatze, jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum; Styli 2, patentes, 
plumofi, jig • 5- 
SEMEN fubovatum, teftum, jig. 6 . denudatum. 
little way into tne earui, ^ 1 't 
by the violence of the wind, is eafily iorced 
out of the ground. 
I STALK upright, about a fpan high, round, ftriated, 
» leafy, with two or three joints. 
5 LEAVES fetaceous, Ihort, fomewhat rigid, the edges 
rolled in, upright, glaucous, a little blunt : 
Sheaths long, "ftriated, roughilh, the edges 
membranous and white; the Membrane 
large, long-pointed, finally bifid. 
\ PANICLE divaricated ; Peduncles growing fingly, in 
the cultivated plant ufually two together, 
long, branched, trifid, and fmooth ; Pedicles 
fhort, fomewhat crooked ; Flowers diftant. 
) CALYX : a Glume of two flowers, two-valved, the 
valves ovato-lanceolate, acute, equal, whitifh, 
glofly, purplilh at the bafe, fig. 1. 
0 COROLLA two-valved, valves feflile, nearly equal, 
h a little ftiorter than the calyx, greemlh, 
pointed, the outer one awned, fig. 2. Awn 
proceeding from near its bafe, ftraight, white, 
longer by one half than the calyx, figi 3. 
) STAMINA : 3 capillary Filaments, nearly the 
' length of the flower; Anthers oblong, 
forked at each end, fig. 4. 
) PISTILLUM: Germen ovate; Styles 2, fpreading, 
1 and feathery, fig. 5. 
1 SEED fomewhat ovate, covered with the corolla, 
fig. 6 . 'denuded. 
The Aira canophyllea is found with us in fituations nearly fimilar to thofe of the Air a pracox, already figured, 
viz. on fandy, barren heaths, and fometimes in fallow fields ; it is not, however, to be met with m the fame 
profufion, nor to be found with the fame certainty. 
It flowers in May and June, and as it* is an annual, unlefs it be fought for about its flowering feafon, 
it will not eafily be difcovered. 
Our figure reprefents the plant as it is ufually found in its wild ftate ; in richer foils it grows much 
larger, and in tufts of a confiderable fize. 
We have no other Aira for which it can eafily be miftaken, the jlexuofa which frequently grows in the fame 
fituations is a perennial, and ufually twice or thrice as high, its fpiculee alfo are larger, and more filvery, the 
p nr cox on the contrary is a fmaller plant, and has a much clofer panicle. 
We never could difcover the propriety of Mr. Stii.lingfleet’s figuring this plant among his grafles; what 
has fuch a very infignificant annual to do with the improving of meadows and paftures? 
