Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

Sea Barley-Grass

Back | Salinity Indicator Plants Home | Common name home | Scientific name home | Photo Gallery | Glossary

Sea Barley-grass photos

Scientific Name:Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum)
Image:  Sea Barley Grass
Population with maturing flower spikes

Status:

Native to coastal western and southern Europe. Naturalised in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Plant
Description:

Tufted
annual grass with erect to spreading, smooth to softly hairy (hairs to 0.3 mm long) stems to 50 cm long and velvety-hairy, flat, leaves 4-15 cm long and 1.5-4 mm wide; ligule membranous, 0.5 mm long.

Inflorescence, a compact, much bristled, semi-flattened spike, 1.5-5 cm long, containing spikelets in groups of three. Each spikelet is composed of a single, central and awned floret and two bristles. A number of species have a similar inflorescence appearance (see notes on spikelet differences).

Habitat:

A colonizer of disturbed low-lying situations associated with pasture plants and some native communities. Widespread in saline areas.


RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland S1, S2, S3W1, W2, W3

Comments:

Similar to the saline land colonizer,
Mediterranean Barley-grass (H. hystrix) and the non-saline land colonizer, Barley-grass (H. murinum).

Sea Barley-grass Photos

Sea Barley-grass - flower spike
Sea Barley-grass - flower spike
Photo: A J Brown
Sea Barley-grass - old flower spike
Sea Barley-grass - old flower spike
Photo: A J Brown

Sea Barley-grass - population with young flower spikes
Sea Barley-grass - population with young flower spikes
Photo: A J Brown

Page top