Plants of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - NPS Inventory ...

Poaceae
Graminoids
44
Hordeum vulgare
Impact risk level
Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum
Impact risk level
H M L
leporinum barley, mouse barley
General: Introduced annual, geniculate and spreading at base, 15–50 cm tall.
Vegetative: Blades mostly 3–8 mm broad, sparsely hispid, auriculate, auricles
membranous, about 2 mm long; ligules short, membranous, upper sheath
expanded, enclosing basal portion of the inflorescence. Inflorescence: Spicate
raceme 4–8 cm long, about 1 cm broad excluding awns; lateral spikelets large,
florets equaling or exceeding central floret; glumes of central spikelet and inner
glumes of lateral spikelets broadened and flattened with ciliate margins; floret
of central spikelet borne on pedicel as long as pedicels of lateral spikelets,
its lemma, awn, and palea all shorter than those of lateral spikelets, awn of
glumes 1.5–2.5 cm long, stiffly erect–spreading. Ecology: Weed of disturbed
soils below 9,000 ft (2743 m); flowers April–September. Notes: Separated from
other Hordeum murinum by stalked central floret, floret less than lateral florets,
and lemma awn slightly less than awn of lateral floret. Ethnobotany: Unknown
Etymology: Hordeum is the Latin name for barley, murinum means of mice,
mouse–gray, like a mouse, while leporinum is from root lepus or leporis for a
hare. Synonyms: Critesion murinum ssp. leporinum, Hordeum leporinum
H M L
common barley
General: Introduced; large cultivated annual; erect grass up to 60–120 cm
tall; glabrous. Vegetative: Blades flat, 5–16 mm wide; sheaths smooth; auricles
well developed, up to 6 mm long. Ligule 0.5–1.2 mm, erose–lacerate, ciliolate.
Inflorescence: Spike stout, up to 10 cm long (excluding the awns) with 2–6
rowed spikelets. All 3 spikelets of the triad sessile and fertile. Glumes subequal,
6.5–20 mm long, 3–nerved, tapering into scabrous awns. Lemmas of the 3
spikelets subequal, faintly 5–nerved, glabrous, tapering into a long, stout,
flattened, scabrous awns 6–16 cm long. Ecology: Widely cultivated and most
often found as a roadside weed; flowers May–June. Notes: Large introduced
annual; auricles well–developed up to 6
mm long; spikes with very long awns (6–
16 cm long) arising from fertile lemmas.
Ethnobotany: Papago, Pomo, and
Cocopa all used the seeds for pinole and
flour for food. Etymology: Hordeum
is the Latin name for barley, vulgare
means common. Synonyms: Many, see
Tropicos
©2008 Luigi Rignanese