GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Hordeum vulgare

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; 2.5–4 mm diam.; 3–5 -noded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–45 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 3–8 cm long. Rhachis tough; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 6 -rowed. Rhachis internodes cuneate.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 3 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; dorsally compressed; 10–15 mm long; persistent on plant.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume linear; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface hispidulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 4–10 mm long. Upper glume linear; 4–5 mm long; 0.3–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4–10 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 9–15 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 8–14 mm long overall; limb scabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iran.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.