Little barley

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Little barley inflorescence

Little barley

Little barley

Little barley

Little barley

Morphology

Culm

Erect or bent abruptly upward at bases, solitary or tufted, glabrous, nodes dark.

Blades

Flat, .5 to 4.5 inches long, less than 1/5 inch wide, erect, glabrous or slightly pubescent, ridged above.

Sheath

Shorter than internodes, glabrous or pubescent.

Ligule

Short, membranous, irregularly notched to short-fringed.

Inflorescence

Racemes, spike-like, narrow, erect, 1.5 to 3 inches long, to 3/5 inch wide, sometimes partially enclosed in uppermost sheaths.

Spikelets

3 per node; central spikelets 1-flowered, fertile, sessile; lateral spikelets smaller, sterile, short-stalked; central spikelet glumes lanceolate; outer glumes of lateral spikelets awn-like, other glumes with awns 1/4 to 1/2 inch long; lemma of central spikelet with awn to 1/4 inch long; lemmas of lateral spikelets short-awned.

Ecology

Habitat

Open disturbed areas and waste ground, most abundant on dry or alkaline soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Little barley has little forage value. It becomes dry and unpalatable in June.

Additional Notes