Aira caryophyllea L. var. caryophyllea

silver hair grass

Edges of forests, utility rights-of-ways, and disturbed sites often in sandy soils.

Graminoid

Annual

Vascular

**

**

A recent treatment of Aira for North America (Wipff 2007) treats two other non-native closely related taxa that are currently not known in New York (A. cupaniana and A. elegans) at the infraspecific level under A. caryophyllea (A. caryophyllea var. cupaniana and A. caryophyllea var. capillaris respectively). In Europe these taxa are treated at the specific level (Tutin 1980). In Europe, two to three infraspecific taxa are recognized under the more narrowly circumscribed A. caryophyllea including A. caryophyllea ssp. armoricana and A. caryophyllea ssp. multiculmis (Tutin 1980, Stace 1997). Stace (1997) asserts that these taxa "are doubtfully worth maintaining even as sspp." Neither A. caryophyllea ssp. armoricana or A. caryophyllea ssp. multiculmis have been reported from New York.

Not Native Naturalized FACU (NWPL) FAC (NWPL EMP) UPL (NWPL NCNE) SNA (State Rank) GNR (Global Rank)

**