Hordeum vulgare L.
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Description
Hordeum vulgare is an annual cereal grass, usually 50–120 cm tall, with an erect growth habit. Culms are hollow, cylindrical, and composed of distinct nodes and internodes. The plant develops a fibrous root system. Leaves are linear, flat, and alternate, usually 10–30 cm long and 5–15 mm wide. Leaf blades are smooth, green, and often slightly rough on margins. Leaf sheaths surround the stem, and the ligule is membranous. Auricles are prominent and clasp the stem, a characteristic feature of barley. The inflorescence is a terminal spike, usually 5–15 cm long, composed of a central rachis bearing three spikelets at each node. Each spikelet contains a single floret. Depending on variety, awns may be long and conspicuous, giving the characteristic "bearded" appearance. The fruit is a caryopsis (barley grain) enclosed by lemma and palea.
Diagnostic Characters
Distribution
Native range: Fertile Crescent region of Southwest Asia.
In Pakistan: Cultivated worldwide Pakistan, India, Europe, North America, Central Asia. Important crop in Dry and semi-arid regions.
Phenology
Ethnobotany & Uses
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Where it grows on campus
Taxonomic Notes
Hordeum belongs to tribe Triticeae, which also includes wheat and rye.