Aira praecox L.

Small, erect, reddish green or greyish green tufts, 3–20–(25) cm, with spike-like panicles. Leaf-sheath firmly membranous, sparsely ribbed, very minutely scabrid below ligule or entirely smooth. Ligule (0.6)–1.5–3.2 mm, tapered, shortly denticulate, abaxially usually sparsely scabrid. Leaf-blade 0.5–4 cm × 0.3–0.5 mm diam., inrolled, smooth, or abaxially sparsely scabrid on ribs; margins minutely scabrid, tip obtuse. Culm internodes usually densely scabrid below nodes, or smooth throughout. Panicle (0.5)–1–4.5 cm × 3–9 mm, oblong or lanceolate; rachis, short erect branches and pedicels rather sparsely, finely scabrid. Spikelets green, tinged purple. Glumes c. 3 mm, 1–3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, often scabrid near tip, keel scabrid, margins minutely ciliate-scabrid. Lemma 2.5–3 mm, ˜ glumes, smooth and firmly membranous in lower ½, densely minutely scabrid towards bifid hyaline apex; awn 3.2–4.2 mm, from lower ⅓ of lemma, column brown, finely twisted. Palea narrower than lemma, keels glabrous, rounded. Callus ringed by minute hairs. Rachilla very short, glabrous, prolonged. Anthers c. 0.3 mm. Caryopsis 1.5–2 ×c. 0.5 mm.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]