Heteropogon contortus tanglehead

When the awns of adjacent Heteropogon contortus inflorescences become tangled, the result resembles an ostentatious grassy hairstyle worn in challenge or test by only the boldest of attention seekers.

Spear grass or assegaaigras, here growing at Mjejane is common in the eastern summer rainfall parts of South Africa, as well as along the southern coast, as far west as Saldanha.

This grass is favoured by mountain zebra, waterbuck and roan antelope (Van Oudtshoorn, 1991; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Lowrey and Wright, 1987).

More is presented on this species in the Grasses Album of this Site.