Either of two species of North American plants that make up the genus Xerophyllum, in the lily family. The western species, X. tenax, also known as elk grass, squaw grass, and fire lily, is a smooth, light-green mountain perennial with a stout, unbranched stem and grasslike, rough-edged leaves at the bottom. It flowers at five to seven years, bearing a large cluster of small, creamy white flowers at the top of the stem. The turkey beard (X. asphodeloides) of southern North America is a similar plant that grows in dry pine barrens. In the southern and southwestern U.S., the name bear grass is given to various kinds of yucca and to the camas (Camassia scilloides) and the aloelike Dasylirion texanum.
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There were 26 households out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.53.
In the town the population was spread out with 15.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 15.1% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 76.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $14,375 versus $38,333 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,562. There were 24.0% of families and 22.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including 41.7% of under eighteens and 44.4% of those over 64.