About Aira praecox L.
Aira praecox L. is a species of grass with several common names: early hair-grass, yellow hairgrass, and spike hairgrass. It is native to Europe, where it grows in dry sandy sites, rocky outcrops, and heath grassland. It has been introduced to North America, where it occurs on both the east and west coasts in sandy or rocky habitats like beaches and roadsides. This is an annual, tuft-forming grass that reaches a maximum height of around 10 to 15 centimeters. Its thin, narrow leaves grow at the base of the stem, and are typically between 0.3 and 2 millimeters wide. It produces small, tightly packed inflorescences made of purple-tinted green bisexual spikelets. It forms low, small, but numerous tufts, and flowers from April to June. The larvae of certain moths and butterflies, including the Grayling butterfly and the Coast Dart moth, feed on this grass.
