POACEAE

Nassella leucotricha

Common Name:  Winter Grass, Spear Grass, Texas Needle Grass

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Stipa leucotricha inflorescence.jpg (43141 bytes) Stipa leucotricha habit.jpg (100747 bytes)
inflorescence--there is a single open flower in the middle of the image.  In this genus, the bracts underneath the flowers have long appendages called awns.  These awns are retained as the fruit develops.  The fruit together with the long awn thus resembles a spear--hence the common name "speargrass". habit--Nassella is a good example of a bunchgrass
habit again--all of the grass in this picture is speargrass, which is often common underneath trees!