Porcupine Grasses

Hesperostipa is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as needle-and-thread grass or needlegrass.

The Hesperostipa species, formerly called Stipa, are endemic to North America. The new name adds Classical Greek: ἕσπερος, romanized: hesperos, lit. 'western', as other Stipa species are found on the Eurasian continent (i.e., the eastern hemisphere).