awn

The seeds, or awns, contain sharp barbs that can cause wounds and infections if inhaled or if they get caught in paws and fur.

Aesthetics is yet another value that indigenous farmers cherish, cultivating certain landraces simply for their beautiful colors or patterns: gold, brown, purple and black furrows on yellow hulls, purple apexes, black awns, and so on.

“What am I awn?” she asks when her children are comparing their various drug treatments.

The awns are just as good at snagging droplets out of passing waves of fog and collecting raindrops that splash down from above.

These awns at the tip of each leaf can collect air from a variety of sources, from fog to heavy rain, using several specialized tools.