Needle and thread grass (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

Needle and thread grass

Hesperostipa comata

Summary ⁷

Hesperostipa comata is known commonly as needle and thread grass because of its unusually long twisted awns (stiff bristles) that look similar to a threaded sewing needle. It is native to the western third of the United States and now spans from Mexico to Canada and exists in multiple habitats.

Botanical Information ⁸

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to and widely distributed throughout North America. This plant grows to 25 inches tall. It is a bunchgrass, meaning it grows in clumps. The weight of the plant can be 29lb and it will normally start to grow in the early spring time, before most other grasses start to grow. The awns on the grass detach from the inside of the seed and make it look like it has long leaves at the end of each piece. The grass drops seeds onto the ground in the fall and then they start growing in the springtime.

Ecological Information ⁹

Needle and thread grass is common in southern regions and is well adapted to prairies. It is adapted to brown, dark brown and black soils zones (Brett Young, “Needle and Thread Grass”). The plant is eaten by wildlife mostly in the winter and spring. This type of grass is effective at preventing wind from shifting sandy soils. It is one of the first plants to grow in disturbed sandy sites.

The long sharpened awns/leaves can injure animals. The grass has a little sharp seed at the end of the awn which scrapes against livestock and can impair their vision, walking, and eating. When animals eat this seed it has a big effect on the animal's mouth and eating habits. Livestock and wildlife such as elk and deer do, however, graze on this grass at times of the year when the seed will not injure it.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁹

Research from the Native American Ethnobotany Database documents that needle and thread seeds have been used as darts and play arrows by Ramah Navajo Community, Okanagan Nation, and Colville Tribe. Also the Blackfeet Nation would use this plant as an indicator of the start of buffalo cow hunting season in the fall by a spread out appearance of the grass. (Note: Ethnobotanical reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References ¹⁰

“Needle and thread grass (Hersperostipa comtata).” 7 May 2019.
https://www.brettyoung.ca/sites/default/files/atoms/files/needle-and-thread-grass.pdf

“Hersperostipa Comtata (Needle and Thread)” Granite seed and Erosion control. 7 May

https://graniteseed.com/products/hesperostipa-comata-ssp-comata/

“Plant guide (hersperostipa comtata)” USDANRC. 7 May 2019.
https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_heco26.pdf

“Needle and Thread grass (Stipa comtata)” Grasses . 7 May 2019.
https://www3.northern.edu/natsource/GRASSES/Needle2.htm

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (n.d.). Hesperostipa comata.
Retrieved August 18, 2021, from http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Hesperostipa+comata

About the Author ⁹

Student author*: Arianna (age 13) and LaTonya (age 13) from Albuquerque Sign Language Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) ellen hildebrandt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by ellen hildebrandt
(c) Katie Kucera, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Katie Kucera
(c) Corey Lange, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Corey Lange
(c) tmassey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
no rights reserved, uploaded by Robb Hannawacker
(c) sarapar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperostipa_comata
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by Kiley Spurlock from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Type	grass
Type	bunchgrass
Habitat	prairie
Uses	Toy and Tools
Native	yes
Life cycle	perennial

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