Many plants have characteristics that can cause injury to grazing animals. A variety of grasses can be palatable when young, but injurious once they have matured with long awns that cause injury to the nose, eyes, mouth and ears of grazing animals.
Common pasture plants causing physical injury:
- Bromus spp. (Ripgut brome, Cheat, Downy brome, etc)
- Cenchurus lonispinus (Longspine sand bur)
- Holcus spp. (Velvetgrasses)
- Hordeum spp. (Foxtail and Hare barley)
- Taeniatherum caput-medusae (Medusahead grass)
- Tribulus terrestris (Puncture vine)
- Urtica doica (Stinging nettle)