Briza maxima
An ornamental grass that occasionally escapes cultivation in various locations throughout the continental U.S., including New Mexico. Also called "rattlesnake grass" for perhaps obvious reasons.
An inflorescence on California Highway 1 south of Big Sur, Monterey County, California, 10 Apr 2009.
Inflorescences on California Highway 1 south of Big Sur, 10 Apr 2009.