The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
quaking grass
any plant of the genus Briza, annuals or perennials of the Gramineae (grass family), cultivated for the graceful clusters of seeds, which vibrate in a breeze and are used in everlasting bouquets. The plants are native to temperate regions of Europe and South America and are now widely naturalized in North America. Quaking grass is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Cyperales, family Gramineae.