Origin: Introduced   Season: Warm Habitat Description: Found in moist disturbed areas in alkaline soils. Plant Communities:Riparian, Disturbed Areas Elevation: 500 - 6500 feet
Similar Species: Hordeum murinumGeneral Description
Desc:
Loosely tufted annual with straight or slightly bent stems up to 20 inches tall, spreading at the base. Basal sheaths are somewhat hairy. Identification Notes: Hordeum marinum lacks auricles, which distinguishes it from H. murinum. Glumes straight, ascending to slightly divergent at maturity. Lemmas of the lateral spikelets with awns up to 1/4 inch long. Grass Type: Annual Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: 12 to 24 inches Seedhead Structure: Unbranched Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Apr - Jun Flower Characteristics
Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: 1/4 inch to 1 inch Three Awns: Y Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Spikelets are dense up to 3 inches long; green or purplish on the awns and glumes. Three spikelets per node; lateral spikelets sub-sessile, sterile; central spikelets sessile and fertile. Lemma awns up to 1/4 inch long.
Vegetative Charcteristics
Blade Hairy:
Y
Blade with White Margins:
N
Blade Cross section:
Flat or involute
Blade Notes:
Blades are thin and about 3 inches long, less than 1/4 inch wide; sparsely to densely hairy on both sides.
Sheath Hairy:
Y
Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar:
N
Ligules:
Membranous Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area:
N
Forage Value:
Grass is used by wildlife and stock for early season forage but contains little nutritive value, especially after setting seedheads.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590