Small Hair-grass - introduced (*Molineriella minuta)

Native to the Mediterranean region.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Other names: Periballia elongatum.

Identification:

• flower cluster is a very open spray
• it has 2 glumes which are about as long as the lemmas and small (c2mm long)
• it is without awns
• the leaves are flat or rolled
• the ligule membranous, truncate or rounded and 1-2mm long.

It is a small, delicate grass and resembles the other hair grasses (Aira species). It differs in that the lemmas are not awned, and the lemmas protrude slightly above the glumes. As with the other hair grasses it has two lemmas.

Uncommon. All of the local records are from cemeteries e.g. Guildford Cemetery. It may be more common than this, as it could easily be overlooked, or confused with the other hair grasses.

Molinia: a kind of grass (e.g. Purple Moor-grass), named in honour of I. Molineri, 1741-1818, director of the Turin botanical gardens; ella diminutive.