Grass Description
Grasslands and open ground, most abundant in formerly cultivated, disturbed or deteriorated rangelands.
General Description
A compact, upright annual with blunt spikelets. Awns are shorter than the awns of other Hordeums.
Plant annual, branched at the base; seedheads spike-like; spikelets 3 per node; lateral spikelet glumes awn-like; glumes of central spikelet distinctly dilated above the base and not hairy. H. murinum has hairy margined glumes.
Flower Characteristics
Seedhead balanced and spikelike. Spikelets 3 per node, middle one perfect and sessile, lateral 2 staminate. Both glumes of the central spikelet and the 2nd glume of the lateral spikelets prominently expanded above the base.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades to 4 inches long, to 1/4 inch wide, sparsely to densely clothed with soft hairs or down on both sides.
Good before going to seed.