FEATHER-GRASS

the popular name of Stipa pennaia, a native of dry piaces in the south of Hurope. The rigid leaves roll up in dry air like those of marram-gra ; the awns are exceedingly long, feathered to the point, and hygroscopic, curling up spirally when dry, and uncurling when moistened; these movements of the awn serve to bury the fruit..S. tenaci ima is the esparto-gra used in papermaking.