Grass Description
Found in moist disturbed areas in alkaline soils.
General Description
Loosely tufted annual with straight or slightly bent stems up to 20 inches tall, spreading at the base. Basal sheaths are somewhat hairy.
Hordeum marinum lacks auricles, which distinguishes it from H. murinum. Glumes straight, ascending to slightly divergent at maturity. Lemmas of the lateral spikelets with awns up to 1/4 inch long.
Flower Characteristics
Spikelets are dense up to 3 inches long; green or purplish on the awns and glumes. Three spikelets per node; lateral spikelets sub-sessile, sterile; central spikelets sessile and fertile. Lemma awns up to 1/4 inch long.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades are thin and about 3 inches long, less than 1/4 inch wide; sparsely to densely hairy on both sides.
Grass is used by wildlife and stock for early season forage but contains little nutritive value, especially after setting seedheads.