Hordeum marinum
Plants annual; loosely tufted. Culms to 50 cm, straight to geniculate; nodes glabrous. Basal sheaths somewhat hairy; ligules 0.2-0.5 mm; auricles usually absent or to 0.3 mm; blades to 8 cm long, 1-6 mm wide, sparsely to densely hairy on both sides. Spikes 1.5-7 cm long, 5-10(20) mm wide, dense, green or more or less purplish on the awns and glumes; rachises disarticulating at maturity, triplets not breaking up immediately after maturity. Glumes straight, ascending to slightly divergent at maturity. Central spikelets: glumes 14-26 mm long, 0.2-1.1 mm wide basally, setaceous distally; lemmas 5-8 mm, usually smooth or somewhat scabrous, sometimes pubescent, awned, awns 6-18 mm; anthers 0.8-1.3 mm, yellowish. Lateral spikelets sterile; lower glumes setaceous or winged, wings 0.5-2.3 mm wide; upper glumes setaceous; lemmas 4-6 mm, awned, awns 3-8 mm. 2n = 14, 28.
Distribution
Mont., Oreg., Mass., Wash., B.C., Utah, Calif., Ohio, N.J., Okla., Pa., Ill., Ariz., Idaho, Nev.
Discussion
Hordeum marinum is native to Eurasia, where it grows in disturbed habitats. It has become established in similar habitats in western North America, and in scattered locations elsewhere. Two subspecies are recognized; both are found in the Flora region.
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Lower glumes of the lateral spikelets usually setaceous, not winged | Hordeum marinum subsp. gussoneanum |
| 1 | Lower glumes of the lateral spikelets with a flattened wing, the wings 0.5-2.3 mm wide | Hordeum marinum subsp. marinum |