Aira

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Poaceae

• Scientific Name

  Aira L.

• Description

  Genus Description - Spikelets 2-fld, disarticulating above the glumes and between the lemmas; rachilla very short, not prolonged beyond the upper palea; glumes subequal, exceeding the lemmas, ovate, obscurely 1–3-veined, acute or acuminate; lemmas firm, elongate, rounded on the back, obscurely 5-veined below, tapering into 2 pale setaceous teeth, one or both lemmas awned; awn arising from below the middle, bent, the straight stout lower part about equaling the body of the lemma, the slender terminal part longer, exsert; palea enclosed by the involute lemma; small annual grasses with short, very narrow blades and diffuse or spike-like panicles. 12, irregularly cosmop. (Aspris)

• Common Names

  hairgrass