Heteropogon contortus
COMMON NAME | Pili Grass, Spear
grass; Tanglehead; Twisted beardgrass |
TYPE | Bamboo |
FAMILY | Poaceae |
NOTES | Forms bunches or
tufts of light blueish-green leaf blades which range in height from two to
three ft. tall. Their flowers, although insignificant in appearance, form
spikelets at the top of the plant and often become tangled amongst each
other. This dense cluster of seeds is most likely how the plant received its
name since the word pili means to stick or cling to. The plants develop
characteristic dark seeds with a single long awn at one end and a sharp spike
at the other. The awn (stiff bristle) becomes twisted when dry and
straightens when moistened, and in combination with the spike is capable of
drilling the seed into the soil. Pili
was used in the past primarily for thatching houses and can still be used
today for that purpose. It was also placed on hula altars for Laka in hopes
that newly gained knowledge would pili, or stick in their minds. |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | Southern Africa, southern Asia,
Northern Australia, Oceania, and southwestern North America |
NATIVE HABITAT | Dry grasslands |
WEB SOURCES |
