Porcupine Grass (Closeup) (14258034487)

Stipa spartea (Porcupine grass) is a needlegrass with a long awn (the "hair" extending from each seed). The seed of these cool season grasses is very sharp and twists to seed itself into the ground with help from the awn. However, these needles can cause problems to cattle and other grazers when foraged too late. In some cases, the mature needle can work its way through the hide, flesh, or organs of its consumer. It is a bunchgrass native to the prairies of North Dakota, that generally decreases with grazing pressure.

Photo Credit: Krista Lundgren/USFWS