Hordeum brachyantherum
Meadow barley
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Hordeum brachyantherum (Meadow barley) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Meadow barley is a California native perennial grass found in various bioregions across grasslands and meadow habitats. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces green to purple-tinged inflorescences in compact clusters 3 to 10 centimeters long. Growing in loosely to densely tufted clumps 20 to 95 centimeters tall with smooth nodes, it forms distinctive grass clusters with slender stems. Its leaves are narrow, 1.5 to 9 millimeters wide, with blades up to 19 centimeters long that can be smooth or slightly hairy. The plant's central spikelets feature glumes 7 to 19 millimeters long with bristle-like appendages that become straight as they mature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Calaveras, Los Angeles, Tuolumne, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Monterey, Napa, Fresno, Plumas, Santa Clara, Alpine, San Mateo, San Bernardino, Tulare, Alameda, Orange, Siskiyou, Mono, Riverside, Ventura, Lake, Santa Barbara, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Modoc, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Nevada, San Diego, Solano, Trinity, El Dorado, Yolo, Placer, Yuba, Colusa, Santa Cruz, Marin, Sonoma, Inyo, Del Norte, Sierra, Amador, Sacramento, Tehama, Glenn, Shasta
How to tell it apart
vs Bromus: Hordeum has three spikelets per node in a spike; Bromus has separate spikelets in loose clusters.; vs Triticum: Hordeum has three spikelets per node; Triticum has one spikelet per node.; vs Taeniatherum: Hordeum has the central spikelet stalkless; check if side spikelets are stalked.; vs Setaria: Hordeum has three grouped spikelets per node; Setaria has dense bristly single spikelets.; vs Elymus: Hordeum has hollow stems; Elymus has solid stems between nodes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hordeum brachyantherum native to California?
Yes. Hordeum brachyantherum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Hordeum brachyantherum grow?
Hordeum brachyantherum occurs in Calaveras, Los Angeles, Tuolumne, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Monterey, Napa, Fresno and other counties.
What plant family does Hordeum brachyantherum belong to?
Hordeum brachyantherum is in the Poaceae family, genus Hordeum.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.