Anatherum bicorne (Fox-tail Grass)

Native across tropical and subtropical America, this perennial grass forms upright tufts with flowering stems about 5 to 8 feet tall. It occurs in grasslands, savannas, shrubland, forest openings and disturbed ground. Dense, branching flower clusters contain paired short racemes clothed in long silky hairs, producing the characteristic feathery appearance. The tiny fertile spikelets lack awns. In Colombia it is widespread from lowland regions into the Andes, reaching elevations of about 8,200 feet. Photographed in Colombia.