Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Aira elegans
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Elegant Hairgrass from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aira elegans
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24 (2007)
Aira caryophyllea var. capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Aira elegantissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-35-002:
Aira elegans FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aspris capillaris
COMMON NAME:
Elegant Hairgrass, Annual Silver Hairgrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_aiel4_001_lvd
)
Keith Bradley kab_aira_elegans_0207
April Lexington County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210507_9983
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
Pedicels usually 2-8× long as spikelets; upper lemma awn 1.5-2.5mm, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow s050507_a
May Greenville County SC
Field
Leaves low cauline; blades angled, subterete, to 5cm long, scaberulous, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm080606_004
June Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow s080606_d
June Greenville County SC
Panicle open, the branches elongate, diffusely spreading or ascending, per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Aira elegans
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aira elegans
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24
Aira caryophyllea var. capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Aira elegantissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-35-002:
Aira elegans
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Aira elegans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aspris capillaris
1881
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Annual
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Common, uncommon, or rare - depending on region
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Low alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Inflorescence a delicate, diffuse panicle
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Grain ivory-colored
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".