58 WEED FLORA OF IOWA 



It is no't as valuable for pasturage as blue grass but it compares 

 very favorably with timothy in regard to the amount of protein and 

 nitrogen free extract it contains. 



Squirrel-tail Grass {Hordeum jubatum L.) ■ 



Description. — An annual cr winter annual from 6 in -2 ft. high, 

 producing fibrous roots which form solid, compact bunches, leaves 

 not unlike those of blue grass, but paler in color, from 2-4 in. long, 

 margins scabrous ; flowers in a dense spike from 2-4 in. long, pale 

 green or purplish in color ; spike consisting of a number of 1-flow- 

 ered spikelets, 3 occurring at each joint, 1 being perfect, the other 

 spikelets awl-shaped, rudimentary, and borne on short stalks, 1 

 sterile spikelet occurring on each side of the perfect flower, which 

 bears a long awn ; at each joint will be found 6 empty long-awned 

 glumes spreading at maturity giving to the plant its bristly appear- 

 ance ; when mature, the spike breaks up into joints consisting of the 

 rudimentary spikelets and a perfect flower, so that each joint has 

 one "seed," the number of "seeds" in a spike varying from 35-60. 

 A single cluster of plants may therefore produce from three hun- 

 dred to two thousand mature "seeds". The plant has a wonderful 

 capacity for "stooling". From a single plant as many as forty 

 spikes may be produced, and the number no doubt often exceeds this. 



Distribution. — Squirrel-tail grass, originally, was abundant in the 

 vicinity of alkali lakes and along the borders of streams west of 

 Missouri river. It also occurred sparingly on the North Atlantic 

 coast ; now, however, it is common across the continent. In Iowa it 

 is abundant in all parts of the state not only in pastures but in mea- 

 dows, fields and gardens. 



Extermination. — Squirrel-tail or wild barley is a most pernicious 

 weed along the roadsides and in pastures and meadows; pernicious 

 because it not only prevents the growth of the better grasses but is 

 injurious to live stock. As this weed is most common in the pas- 

 ture, the best way to treat it is to mow the pasture before the grass 

 has matured its seed. Since this weed is an annual, or winter an- 

 nual, this would effectively dispose of the plant were it not for the 

 fact that the seed is blown in from neighboring fields and roadsides. 

 Cultivation will readily destroy the weed and where it is abundant 

 in fields shallow cultivation followed by the disk and harrow should 

 be effective. 



