Arizona Barley

Hordeum arizonicum Covas

Hordeum arizonicum, known as Arizona Barley, is a species of grass in the Poaceae family. It is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, including Arizona, California, and New Mexico. This grass grows in wet areas of desert environments, including irrigation ditches, and can tolerate saline soils. It is an annual or perennial plant that reaches heights of 20 to 70 cm. The inflorescence is a spike up to 12 cm long, with spikelets up to 3 cm long, often ending in awns.

Description

Hordeum arizonicum is a wild barley species that thrives in wet desert habitats. It is found in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. The plant is adapted to saline conditions and can be either annual or perennial. Its spike-like inflorescence is a distinguishing feature, with each spikelet often bearing an awn at the tip. This species was first described in 1949 by Covas.