Hair Grass

Hair Grass (Aira), a genus of grasses, having delicately panicled inflorescences, bearing spikelets with two unequal glumes, and two perfect flowers, each with two thin membranous bracts, of which the outer is generally awned. The species are natives of temperate and cold climates. Five species are natives of Britain, and are chiefly found in moors, sandy pastures, and other situations where the soil is unfertile. The Tufted Hair Grass, or Turfy Hair Grass (A. cespitosa), common in better pastures and meadows, is a beautiful grass when in flower, but forms coarse tufts of very rough leaves, which are usually rejected by cattle. It attains a height of 2 to 4 feet, and is sometimes used for thatching ricks of hay or corn, and in some places for making mats. It grows luxuriantly in moist situations, and indicates a badly drained soil. It is occasionally tolerated, in order to add to the bulk of Bog Hay in moorish grounds, but is carefully extirpated wherever agricultural improvement takes place. This grass is, however, sometimes sown to form cover for game, particularly hares; and in marshy situations for snipes and wild fowl. It is the windlestrae of the Scotch.