Hordeum secalinum
Schreb. Knotted Barley GrassDensely tufted or shortly rhizomatous, often glaucous perennial, culms erect to 70 cm high. Leaf-blades flat, 6–15 cm long and 2–4 mm wide, variably covered with fine spreading hairs; sheaths of lower leaves velvety, those of upper leaves glabrous; ligules membranous, c. 1 mm long; auricles not developed. Spike 4–15 cm long. Glumes of spikelets in each triad subulate, subequal or those of the lateral spikelets slightly shorter, 10–20 mm long; lemma of central spikelet scabrous in upper part, 4–8 mm long, with a straight terminal awn shortly exceeding glumes; awn and lemma of sterile lateral spikelets together only about as long as body of central lemma, or sometimes lateral florets barely developed; palea subequal to lemma. Flowers Oct.–Feb.
MuM, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP. Known to be naturalised in Victoria only from the Kerang area where established along roadsides in the district and near Kyabram where it has flourished in irrigated pastures. Various other Victorian collections exist at MEL, e.g. Geelong, Goulburn, Dimboola, Ravenswood (from the early 1900s), but no subsequent collections from these districts have been made.
Walsh, N.G. (1994). Poaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 356–627. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning