What are awns and what do they look like?
Awns are the small, hairy extensions of certain plants, especially grasses and cereals, which they have developed over the course of evolution as a way of spreading their seeds. They are primarily an adaptation of the plant to its environment. In the case of awns, their evolution has given them a tip, which is as sharp as a needle, and hairs covered with barbs. A special feature is that the barbs all point in one direction. It is this point and barbs that make awns so dangerous.