Bottlebrush grass

The stem of this grass, a North American native with distinctive seed heads, grows about 60 to 120 cm tall. Its leaves are long, narrow, and green, with a pronounced central vein that is characteristic of the species.

The leaves of bottlebrush grass are 6 to 12 mm wide, and their upper surface feels rough.

The flowers form a spike 8 to 17 cm long. The spikelets, small clusters made up of one or two flowers, spread widely and measure 8 to 12 mm long. Overall, the inflorescence looks like a cylindrical brush used for cleaning bottles.

The fruit, called a caryopsis, is a dry fruit typical of the Poaceae family and is fused to the seed it contains.