Mediterranean Barley-grass
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| Scientific Name: | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) |  Mediterranean Barley-grass - flower spikes Photo: A J Brown |
Status: | Native to southern and eastern Europe. Naturalised in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand and USA. | |
Plant Description: | Tufted annual grass to 50 cm tall with erect to spreading, stems covered with loose hairs (0.5-1 mm long) in the lower parts and with velvety-hairy, flat, leaves 4-15 cm long and 1.5-4 mm wide; ligule membranous, 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence, a compact, much bristled, semi-flattened spike, 1.5-5 cm long, containing spikelets in groups of three. Each spikelet is composed of a single, central and awned floret and two bristles. A number of species have a similar inflorescence appearance (see notes on spikelet differences). | |
Habitat: | A colonizer of disturbed low-lying situations associated with pasture plants. Widespread in saline areas on seasonally wet sites. | |
Comments: | Similar to the saline land coloniser, Sea Barley-grass (H. marinum) and the non-saline land colonizer, Barley-grass (H. murinum) |
 Mediterranena Barley-grass - flower spikes Photo: A J Brown |  Mediterranean Barley-grass - stems Photo: A J Brown |  Mediterranean Barley-grass - flower spike Photo: A J Brown |
© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2009.
This document was last reviewed on 05/08/2009