Aira praecox is a species of grass known by several common names, including early hair-grass,[1] yellow hairgrass and spike hairgrass. It is native to Europe, where it is found in dry, sandy places, on rocky outcrops, and in heath grassland.[2] It also grows in North America as an introduced species, where it can be found on the east and west coasts in sandy or rocky areas, such as beaches and roadsides. This is a tuft-forming annual grass growing up to about 10 to 15 centimeters in maximum height.[3]: 1073 The thin, narrow leaves are located at the base of the stem, and are typically 0.3–2 millimeters wide.[4] It bears small, tightly congested inflorescences of purple-tinted green bisexual spikelets.
| Aira praecox | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Aira |
| Species: | A. praecox
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aira praecox | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Aspris praecox | |
It is an annual, forming low and small but numerous tufts. It flowers from April to June.[2]
Certain moths and butterflies, including the Grayling butterfly and the Coast Dart moth, feed on it as larvae.[5]
References edit
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ a b "Early Hair-grass | NatureSpot". www.naturespot.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ Stace, C. A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles (Fourth ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C & M Floristics. ISBN 978-1-5272-2630-2.
- ^ "Aira praecox (early silver-hairgrass): Go Botany". gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Moths larvae that feed on Early Hair-grass Aira praecox | Northumberland Moths". www.northumberlandmoths.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
External links edit