Common name
Small Hairgrass

Derivation
Periballia Trin., Fund. Agrostogr. 133 (1820); from the Greek peri (around) and ballo (to throw), allusion obscure.

minuta- Latin for very small. Smaller than usual in some respect.

Published in
Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2: 298 (1899).

Common synonyms
Mollineriella minuta (L.) Rouy
Molineria minuta (L.) Parl.

Habit
Annual. Culms erect or decumbent, 3–20 cm tall, 1–2-noded. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–2.5 mm long, entire or bilobed, obtuse. Leaf-blades 1–4 cm long, 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate, hooded.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open, ovate, 1.2–4.3 cm long, 1.2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1.5–3 cm long.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels filiform, 2–7.5 mm long, glabrous, tip pyriform. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 2 fertile florets, without rhachilla extension, elliptic, laterally compressed, 1.5–2 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite, 0.7 mm long.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, shiny. Lower glume lanceolate, 1.3–1.6 mm long, 90% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex obtuse or acute. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, 1.3–1.7 mm long, 90–110% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 1–3-nerved. Upper glume apex obtuse or acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic or oblong or ovate, 1.3–1.8 mm long, membranous, 5–7-nerved. Lemma lateral nerves prominent. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex truncate or obtuse, muticous. Anthers 3, 0.1–0.3 mm long. Endosperm farinose.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Australasia.

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

Western Australia: Irwin, Drummond, Dale, Avon. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, South-eastern. New South Wales: South-Western Slopes, South-Western Plains. Victoria: Wimmera, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Gippsland Plains.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Aveneae

Notes
Introduced. Native to the Mediterranean. Dry, open habitats, often on sand and tolerating somewhat saline conditions, commonly a weed of pasture or disturbed woodland. Flowers Aug.–Oct.