Little barley
Hordeum pusillum
Poaceae
Description
Stems grow from small tufts. Leaf blades are quite flat and grow erect and straight until near maturity. There are no auricles at the junction of the leaf blade and the sheath as in other species of Hordeum. The inflorescence is a dense, bristly spike 3/4 to 2 inches long that is usually yellowish and has three spikelets at each node.
Little barley is an annual, cool-season, native - 5 to 15 inches tall.
Poor grazing for both livestock and wildlife.
Habitat
This plant rapidly increases on rangeland when grasses are grazed short. The abundance of this grass is directly related to close grazing, bare ground, and moisture during fall and early winter.
Images
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual
Stem Texture: Hairless/Smooth
Growth Habit: Bunch grass, Grasses
Season: Cool
Distribution
: 01 - Pineywoods, 02 - Gulf Prairies and Marshes, 03 - Post Oak Savannah, 04 - Blackland Prairies, 05 - Cross Timbers and Prairies, 06 - South Texas Plains, 07 - Edwards Plateau, 08 - Rolling Plains, 09 - High Plains, 10 - Trans-Pecos
Distributions
Distribution refers to the ecological region in Texas that a plant has been found. You can also view a clickable map.
Book: Know Your Grasses (B-182)
Collection: Grasses
