Common name
Silver Hair Grass
Silvery Hairgrass

Derivation
Aira L., Sp. Pl. 63 (1753); Classical Greek name for darnel or possibly another species of Lolium. Name now applied to quite a separate genus.

cupaniana- from the Latin -ana (indicating connection). In honour of Francesco Cupani (1657-1780), Italian botanist, cleric and physician.

Published in
Fl. Sic. Syn.1: 148 (1843).

Habit
Annual. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 10–40 cm tall, 2–3-noded. Mid-culm internodes smooth. Leaves mostly basal or cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–6.2 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate or involute, 1–9.5 cm long, 0.3–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Peduncle glabrous. Panicle open, ovate, 2–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending or spreading. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels filiform, terete, 2.8–6.5 mm long, 100–300% of length of fertile spikelet, tip globular. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 2 fertile florets, without rhachilla extension, oblong to ovate, laterally compressed, 1.3–2.6 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets (florets arising at about the same level). Floret callus pubescent.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma, shiny, gaping. Lower glume ovate, 1.3–2.5 mm long, equalling upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 1–3-nerved, midnerve scaberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate, 1.3–2.3 mm long, 100–120% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, hyaline or membranous, 1-keeled, 1–3-nerved, midnerve scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse or acute.

Florets
Fertile florets alike or with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest lemma 1.3–1.9 mm long, entire, muticous. Fertile lemma ovate, laterally compressed, lanceolate in profile, 1.25–2 mm long, cartilaginous, dark brown, 5-nerved. Lemma lateral nerves obscure. Lemma surface smooth or scaberulous or scabrous, rough above. Lemma margins involute, covering most of palea. Lemma apex dentate, 2-fid, acute, muticous or 1-awned. Median (principal) awn dorsal, arising 25% way up back of lemma, geniculate, 1.8–2.5 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea elliptic or ovate, 70% of length of lemma, cartilaginous, 2-nerved. Palea apex obtuse. Lodicules 2, lanceolate, membranous. Anthers 3, 0.1–0.25 mm long. Stigmas 2, protandrous, laterally exserted. Grain with adherent pericarp, fusiform, terete, biconvex, estipitate, not grooved, 1 mm long, smooth, apex unappendaged. Embryo 20% of length of grain. Hilum punctiform. Endosperm farinose.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.

Western Australia: Drummond, Dale, Menzies, Warren, Eyre, Avon. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. Queensland: North Kennedy, Darling Downs, Moreton. New South Wales: Central Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains. Victoria: Lowan Mallee, Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Otway Plain, Otway Range, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, East Gippsland.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Aveneae

Notes
Introduced, generally in temperate regions of mainland Australia. In disturbed areas or open woodland. Flowers Sept.–Mar.

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