Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

Hair Grasses

Back | Salinity Indicator Plants Home | Common name home | Scientific name home | Photo Gallery | Glossary



Hair Grass photos - Silvery Hair-grass, Elegant Hair-grass, Small Hair-grass, False Hair-grass

Scientific Name:
Aira
, Molineriella (syn. Periballia) and Pentaschistis spp

Status:

Indigenous to Europe.

Plant Description:

Small, delicate, tufted, annual grasses, generally to 20 cm (sometimes to 40 cm). Flower-heads are panicles that have capillary branches, are mostly spreading and diffuse and have 2-flowered spikelets separated by long flower-stalks (pedicels).


Aira: Leaves are hairless, fine and generally inrolled, 0.5 mm wide and up to 8 cm long. Spikelets are 1.8-3.5 mm long, depending on the species and at least floret has a fine awn.

Molineriella: Leaves are hairless, flat or folded, 2 mm wide and 5 cm long. Spikelets are 1-1.5 mm long and the florets are awnless.

Pentaschistis: Leaves are covered in soft hairs, flat or somewhat incurved, 1.5 mm wide and 4 cm long. Spikelets are 3-4 mm long and the florets are 3-awned; the central one being much longer than the laterals and sharply bent.

Habitat:

Moderately widespread grasses, growing in a range of habitats.

Aira:
Not persisting in semi-arid or permanently wet sites. May occur on the banks and edges of ephemeral swamps, lakes and water courses.

RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, GippslandS0, *S1W0, W1, W2
*may be found on or fringing saline sites during the wetter parts of the year

Molineriella:
Sandy soils. Tolerates moderate salinity.
RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Wimmera, WesternS0, S1, S2W0, W1, W2

Pentaschistis:
Mainly found on sand or dry shallow soils.
RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, WimmeraS0, *S1W0, W1
*may be found on or fringing saline sites during the wetter parts of the year

Comments:

Four species of
Aira (A. praecox – Early Hair-grass, A. caryophyllea – Silvery Hair-grass, A. cupaniana – Silvery Hair-grass, A. elegans – Elegant Hair-grass), one species of Molineriella (M. minuta – Small Hair-grass) and one species of Pentaschistis (P. airoides – False Hair-grass) occur in Victoria.

Hair Grass photos

Silvery Hair-grass

Silvery Hair-grass plants
Silvery Hair-grass plants (
Aira carophyllea)
Photo: A J Brown
Silvery Hair-grass plant
Silvery Hair-grass plant (
Aira cupaniana)
Photo: A J Brown

Silvery Hair-grass spikelets
Silvery Hair-grass spikelets (
Aira cupaniana)
Photo: A J Brown

Elegant Hair-grass

Elegant Hair-grass plants
Elegant Hair-grass plants (
Aira elegans)
Photo: A J Brown
Elegant Hair-grass plants
Elegant Hair-grass plants (
Aira elegans)
Photo: A J Brown

Elegant Hair-grass spikelets
Elegant Hair-grass spikelets (
Aira elegans)
Photo: A J Brown

Small Hair-grass

Small Hair-grass plants
Small Hair-grass plants (
Molineriella minuta)
Photo: A J Brown

False Hair-grass

False Hair-grass plants
False Hair-grass plants (
Pentaschistis airoides)
Photo: A J Brown
False Hair-grass stem and leaf
Stem and leaf blade junction of False Hair-grass (
Pentaschistis airoides)
Photo: A J Brown

False Hair-grass emerging flower-head
Emerging flower-head of False Hair-grass (
Pentaschistis airoides)
Photo: A J Brown

False Hair-grass flower-head
Flower-head of False Hair-grass (
Pentaschistis airoides)
Photo: A J Brown

Page top