Needlegrass (2)

needle-and thread

Needle-and-Thread Grass
Hesperostipa comata

Family: Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on: May 14, 2012
Location: Bandelier Nat Mon, NM
Life Zones: Plains to foothills
Habitat: Open mesas, dry pastures

Grows to 4ft tall with very long, up to 8", smooth awns. The flowers are long and narrow with a sharp point. The awns are straight when dry and twisted when wet or aging, so twist around each other.

Hesperostipa comata

Hesperostipa neomexicana

New Mexico Feathergrass
Hesperostipa neomexicana

Family: Grass (Poaceae)
AKA: New Mexico Needlegrass
Photo taken on: May 29, 2017
Location: Red Wash Canyon, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones: Plains to foothills
Habitat: Dry, sandy, rocky areas

A tufted grass growing from 18" to 3 feet tall with narrow leaves and distinctive very long (up to 8" long) hairy/feathery awns that twist with age.

Hesperostipa comata

Grasses, Sedges & Rushes