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silver hairgrass
Scientific Name: Aira caryophyllea
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual
Other Names:
Silver Hairgrass (Aira caryophyllea)
Aira caryophyllea, commonly known as silver hairgrass, is a delicate and attractive annual grass with a distinctive silvery appearance, especially before it dries out in the summer.
Common Names:
- Silver hairgrass
- Silvery hairgrass
- Annual Silver Hairgrass
Scientific Name:
- Aira caryophyllea L.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
- Synonyms:
- Aira capillaris
- Aira caryophyllea var. capillaris
- Other Names: Aira charysophylla L. (likely a typo)
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to Europe, Eurasia and Africa.
- Has a fairly wide distribution in North America, where it is considered an exotic species.
- Found in locations such as Gosport, Hampshire, UK; Charles Co., Maryland; Seal Island, Nova Scotia; Morwell National Park, Victoria, Australia; and Hawaii.
Morphological Characteristics
- A bunchgrass that typically reaches up to 30 cm in height when growing well, but can be much smaller.
- Panicle is spreading, not narrow.
- Leaves are inrolled or channelled and less than 0.5 mm wide.
- The silvery appearance of the grass is most prominent in early season.
Ecological Role
- In Victoria, Australia, silvery hairgrass is considered a potentially serious invasive species.
- In North America, it provides poor grazing for wildlife and livestock.
Further Information
- USDA PLANTS Database Symbol: AICA
- Invasive Plant Atlas of New England - University of Connecticut
- Plants of Hawaii (images and information by Forest and Kim Starr)