Culms 40-100 cm; lower nodes glabrous. Lower sheaths glabrous or puberulent, not ciliate; ligules of lower leaves 0.5-1 mm, thickly membranous, rounded; ligules of upper leaves to 3 mm, scarious, acute; blades 0.5-1 mm wide. Panicles 10-30 cm. Glumes subequal, 30-60 mm; florets 15-18 mm; calluses 4-5 mm; lemmas evenly pubescent, hairs shorter than 1 mm; awns 120-220 mm, first 2 segments hairy, hairs mostly 0.2-1 mm, terminal segment flexible, pilose, hairs 1-3 mm. 2n = 44.

Hesperostipa neomexicana grows in grassland, oak, and pinyon pine associations, from 800-2400 m, usually in well-drained, rocky areas in the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. It is similar to H. comata subsp. comata, differing in its longer awn hairs and shorter ligules.

Common Name: New Mexico feathergrass

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Graminoid

General: Tufted perennial grass, without rhizomes; culms erect, 40-100 cm tall.

Vegetative: Sheaths rounded, glabrous or puberulent; collar glabrous or occasionally with few long hairs on margin; ligules of lower leaves less than 1 mm, thickly membranous, rounded; ligules of upper leaves to 3 mm, scarious, acute; blades tightly involute on dryin

Inflorescence: Panicle contracted, mostly 10-30 cm or less, often partially included in upper sheath; spikelets large, erect-appressed, with long, undulant-spreading awns, 12-20 cm; glumes subequal, 3-6 cm; florets 15-18 mm; calluses 4-5 mm; lemmas evidently pubescent, the hairs shorter than 1 mm; first two segments of awn covered in hairs <1 mm, terminal segment flexible and pilose with 1-3 mm hairs.

Ecology: Found on dry, sandy, or rocky slopes and plains in grassland, oak, and pi-on associations; 3,500-6,500 ft (1067-1981 m); flowers April- June.

Distribution: sw NV, AZ, NM, s CO, s WY, w TX; south to n MEX.

Notes: Hesperostipa is a genus of perennial bunchgrasses distinguished by having tightly rolled leaves and single-seeded spikelets with sharp points and very long awns, 5-25 cm long, which usually become twisted at maturity and, upon falling, leave large straw-colored glumes behind. H. neomexicana is similar to H. comata ssp. comata, but differs in its long awn hairs (1-3 mm in H. neomexicana and <1 mm in H. comata) and shorter ligules (to 3 mm in H. neomexicana and to 7 mm in H. comata).

Ethnobotany: Closely related species were used as staple grains by Native Americans in the southwest. This species likely has the same uses.

Etymology: Hesperostipa means western Stipa, as the genus Stipa is solely in the old world according to recent treatments; Stipa is from the Greek word for rope or fiber; neomexicana refers to New Mexico.

Synonyms: Stipa neomexicana

Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2014, AHazelton 2015