Barleys and Goat-grasses
Grasses - Poaceae
Wild Barley Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneumProbably native from the eastern Mediterranean basin to Central Asia. Considered likely to be the wild ancestor of cultivated barleys. An annual species, to 70cm in height. Flower spikes with stout, scabrid awns. Differs from cultivated barleys in the rachis breaking up once the seeds have ripened.
Note: The photographs show Wild Barley on left, compared with Bulbous Barley on the right.
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Bulbous Barley Hordeum bulbosum
Native throughout the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to Central Asia. A perennial species, to 130cm in height with bulb-like swellings at the base of the flowering stems. Flower spikes long and narrow with delicate awns.
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Wall Barley Hordeum murinum
Native throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Basin to Central Asia. Plants 6-60cm in height, often forming linear colonies along track sides and the foot of walls. Leaf blades 2-8mm wide, softly downy or smooth, rather limp and typically arching over. Leaf sheaths rounded, the lower ones hairy, the uppers hairless. Ligule membranous, very short and largely hidden by the winged auricles that wrap around the stem. Flower spike upright or slightly nodding, 4-12cm long. Spikelets each with a single floret, attached to each other in groups of three, the middle floret bisexual, the outer two male or sterile. Lemmas long and narrow, with a long awn 10-50mm in length.
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Sea Barley Hordeum marinum
Native to Macaronesia, Europe and the Mediterranean Region to Central Asia and the Himalayas. Can form extensive patches in grassy areas at the back of coastal dunes or coastal meadows. Plants 10-40cm in height, typically forming small tufts without non-flowering shoots at flowering time. Leaf blades 2-6mm wide, lightly hairy or smooth. Leaf sheaths rounded, the lower ones hairy, the uppers hairless and with a short auricle. Ligule membranous, very short. Flower spike rather stiff and upright, 2-8cm long. Spikelets each with a single floret, attached to each other in groups of three, the larger middle floret bisexual, the smaller outer two male or sterile. Central florets with lemmas 6-8mm long and narrow, with an awn up to 24mm in length.
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False Barley Dasypyrum villosum
Native from the central Mediterranean Region eastwards to Central Asia. Readily told form the true barleys by its relatively broad flower spikes and by the white beard of bristles on the margins of the glumes.
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Mediterranean Needle-grass Stipellula capensis
Native in the tropics and sub-tropics of North Africa, India and the Middle East. A species of dry, stony places.
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Ovate Goat-grass Aegilops geniculata
Native from Macaronesia throughout the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to Afghanistan. Main body of flower spike about 5 times as long as broad, upper spikelets usually sterile. All spikelets awned, the glumes of lateral spikelets with 3-5 (usually 4) awns. Just 1 (2) vestigial spikelet at base of spike (the very similar Ae. umbellatula has 3).
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Barbed Goat-grass Aegilops triuncialis
Native throughout the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to Central Asia and Pakistan. Main body of flower spike more than 5 times as long as broad, cylindrical, all or nearly all spikelets fertile. Spike 4-11cm, Spikelets 4-9. Uppermost spikelet with more than two awns.
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Aegilops biuncialis
Native in Macaronesia and throughout the Mediterranean Region eastwards to Iran. Main body of flower spike about 5 times as long as broad, upper spikelets usually sterile. All spikelets awned, the glumes of lateral spikelets with 2-3 awns. Fertile spikelets 2 (-3); vestigial spikelets 1-2.
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Aegilops neglecta
Native in Macaronesia and throughout the Mediterranean Region eastwards to Central Asia. Main body of flower spike about 5 times as long as broad, upper spikelets usually sterile. All spikelets awned, the glumes of lateral spikelets with 2-3 awns. Fertile spikelets 2 (-3) with a few sterile spikelets forming a narrow column above; vestigial spikelets usually 3. Awns of lemmas about half as long as those of glumes.
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