Mouse barley, Barley grass, Wall barley
Hordeum murinum

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A tufted annual grass. It grows 15-30 cm high. The stems are smooth and slender. The leaves are flat and 20 cm long by 2-8 mm wide. The veins underneath the leaf are rough to touch. The flowers occur in a spike. They are clustered in a dense erect head. This is 3-10 cm long. It breaks up at maturity. It has long erect awns. The side 2 spikelets are not longer nor plumper than the central one. There are several subspecies.

There are about 20 Hordeum species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It occurs in pastures and can be in salty locations. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,300 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Easter Island, Europe, Falklands, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten cooked as flour. Caution: It has sharp coarse awns that can irritate the mouth.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Cebada de raton, Cebadilla, Cola de zorro, Flechilla, Fu, Loica, Mišji ječmen, Sha-eer, Vadarpa

Synonyms

Hordeum boreale Gand.; Hordeum coleophorum Phil.; Hordeum delphicum Gand.; Hordeum depilatum Gand.; Hordeum elongatum Gand.; Hordeum flexicaule Gand.; Hordeum hohenacheri Gand.; Hordeum microcladum Gand.; Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum (Link) Arcang.; Hordeum neglectum Gand.; Hordeum rubens Willk.;