Hay and straw are hard to differentiate for neophytes who identify them both as dried grass. However, if hay is indeed dried prairie grass, straw consists of the stalks and leaves of cereals. The observation of their color makes it possible to distinguish them more easily. Hay is rather pale green, while straw is yellow. It is also possible to differentiate them by their texture, consisting of thin, young leaves and stems for hay and lignified culms with hollow, waxy stems of a brighter appearance for straw.