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Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Hesperostipa comata

Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth

Needle And Thread, Needle-and-thread

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: HECO26

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Needle-and-thread is a member of the grass family (family Poaceae). Grasses are herbs, rarely woody, with cylindrical, jointed flowering stems (culms), hollow between the joints, leaves often mostly basal and tiny flowers aggregated into highly modified clusters. This very important family, consisting of about 525 genera and 5000 species, provides much of the food used by humans, as well as fodder for livestock. Grasses occur throughout the world in almost every habitat, with the greatest diversity of species found in the tropical zone, and the greatest abundance in the temperate regions.

From the Image Gallery

5 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 3-1/2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Not Applicable
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul
Bloom Notes: The flowers (florets) of grasses are often minute and are therefore not visible to the naked eye.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , MI , MN , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , NY , OK , OR , RI , SD , TX , UT , WA , WI , WY

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Hesperostipa comata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Hesperostipa comata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hesperostipa comata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2019-01-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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