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- Dichotomous Key
- Poaceae
- Poaceae Group 5
- Hordeum
- Hordeum brachyantherum
Hordeum brachyantherum — meadow barley
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Meadow barley is an occasional visitor to New England, and has been collected in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in railroads and disturbed sites.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Leaf blade width
- 1–9 mm
- Inflorescence branches
-
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has an awn
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0–20 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Anther length
- 0.8–3.5 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.8–3.5 mm
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has an awn
- Bristles below spikelets
- no
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Floret number
- 1
- Floret types within spikelet
- there are at least two distinct forms of florets within one spikelet
- Glume awn length
- 1–20 mm
- Glume keel
- NA
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume shape
-
- the glume is V-shaped in cross-section
- the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
- Glume veins
-
- 1
- 3
- 5
- Glumes per spikelet
- 2
- Inflorescence axis orientation
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branches
-
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious
- Inflorescence branches coming off the lowest stem node
- Up to 2
- Inflorescence crowding
- NA
- Inflorescence length
- 30–85 mm
- Inflorescence length to width ratio
- 5.7–6
- Inflorescence type (general)
-
- the inflorescence is a spike, or is spike-like, lacking obvious branches
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence has pairs (or trios) of spikelets, but with one always either missing a stalk or on a shorter stalk than the other
- Inflorescence width
- 5–15 mm
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
-
- NA
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn coiled
-
- NA
- the lemma awn is straight or twisted, but not coiled one half turn
- Lemma awn length
- 0–20 mm
- Lemma awn number
-
- the lemma has no awn
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma awn orientation
-
- the awn of the lemma is straight
- the awn of the lemma on dried or older plants is curved or bent outwards
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma hairs
-
- the lemma has fine hairs between the veins
- the lemma is hairless between the veins
- Lemma keel hairs
- NA
- Lemma marginal vein hairs
-
- the marginal vein of the lemma has fine hairs on it
- the marginal vein of the lemma is hairless
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma tip
- the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)
- Lemma tip shape
- the lemma tip tapers to a long narrow point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)
- Lemma vein number
- 5
- Lemma vein orientation
- the veins on the lemma stay roughly parallel throughout
- Lower glume relative length
- the lower glume is nearly as long, or as long as, the upper glume
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Reproductive system
- some flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens, while other flowers have only one type of reproductive organ (polygamous)
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is an extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet disintegration
- the spikelet breaks off below the glumes
- Spikelet pedicel
-
- the spikelets do not have pedicels
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelet pedicel length
- 0–1 mm
- Spikelet position
-
- NA
- the spikelets emerge mainly from the upper halves of the inflorescence branches
- Spikelet shape
- the spikelets are obovate (egg-shaped but with the widest point above the middle) in profile
- Spikelets per panicle branch
- 0
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Tip of glume
- the tip of the glume is not divided (though it may have an awn on it)
- Upper glume relative length
- the upper glume is up to one half as long as the lowest lemma
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Fruits or seeds
- Groove on seed
- the caryopsis has a groove running most of its length
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf basal lobe hairy
- NA
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf blade is rounded in to a narrower base, or the blade cuts in abruptly to the narrower base
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Leaf blade length
- 8–19 cm
- Leaf blade width
- 1–9 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf margin glands
- there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
- Leaf sheath hair type
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Orientation of topmost leaf
- the flag leaf is held upright, or at less than a 45 degree angle out from the stem
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Hairs at nodes
- the stem nodes are hairless or they have very sparse hairs
- Plant height
- 20–100 cm
- Stem hairs
-
- the stem has hairs on it
- the stem is nearly to completely hairless
- Stem orientation
-
- the stems are upright
- the stems trail at the base, but turn upwards at the tips
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
None
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Hordeum brachyantherum Nevski ssp. brachyantherum E
meadow barley. Critesion brachyantherum (Nevski) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey; Hordeum boreale Scrib. & J.G. Sm.; H. nodosum L., pro parte; H. nodosum L. var. boreale (Scrib. & J.G. Sm.) A.S. Hitchc. • MA, NH; also reported from ME by Campbell et al. (1995), but specimens are unknown. Railroads, disturbed soil.