P- 60. — Mur. Northern FI. p. 81 —Dick. FI. Abrtd. p. 20. — Irv. I.oncl. FI. p. 
1 (, 1. — I.uxf. Rtig. FI. p. 10. — Cow. FI. Guide, p. 34. — Alack. Cal. l’l. of lrel. 
p. 16.; FI. Hibern. p. 314. — Hordeum spur him, JohiKon’s Gerarde, p. 73. — 
Zeocriton murinum, Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 90. — G rumen secalinum et 
sacale sylvestve, Ray's Syn. p. 391. 
Localities.— On waste ground, by walls, and road-sides; very common in 
ENGLAND, more rare in SCOTLAND. 
Annual. — Flowers from June to August. 
Root fibrous. Stems (culms) numerous, from a foot to 18 in- 
ches high, round, smooth, leafy, nearly upright, except at the base, 
where they are usually more or less decumbent and bent at the 
joints. Leaves strap-shaped, tapering to a point, flat, roughish, 
with a few scattered hairs on both surfaces, and two small mem- 
branous appendages at the base, which embrace the stem ; sheaths 
long, striated, smooth. Stipula (liqula) short and blunt. Spikes 
2 or 3 inches long, very dense and uniform, of a lightish-green 
colour, 2-ranked, brittle. Florets 3 together at each joint of the 
rachis or common stalk, the two outside ones sterile, the intermedi- 
ate one fertile ; the larger palea or valve in all the florets awned. 
Each sterile floret has a calyx of 2 bristle-shaped glumes, one of 
which (that next to the fertile floret) is fringed at the base, the 
other rough with small teeth. The fertile or perfect floret is con- 
siderably the largest, and has a calyx of two strap-spear-shaped 
glumes on the outside of the larger awned palea, both of which are 
fringed with spreading hairs ; this floret has also a third glume, 
which is very narrow, resembling an awn, placed at the base of the 
inner palea, not fringed, and shorter than the floret. 
Hordeum murinum is distinguished from any other species of the 
genus by the two glumes of the calyx of the intermediate floret 
being fringed with spreading hairs. 
This Grass is ofno agricultural use ; Mr. Sinclair says he never 
could observe it eaten by cattle of any description, not even by the 
half-starved animals which feed by road-sides, where it is often the 
most prevalent grass. However, Dr. Withering says that sheep 
and horses eat it, and that it feeds the Brown Moth ( Phalana 
granella), and the Barley Fly ( Musca frit), the latter very de- 
structive to the barley in Sweden, by getting into the ear ; but, 
according to Kirby and Spence, not yet observed in England. 
Mr. Knapp observes, that “ in some places, Hordeum murinum 
occasionally intrudes in the upland grass-fields, and the hay in such 
cases is almost rejected by cattle, as the sharp spines that consti- 
tute the beard attach themselves to the mouth of the beast, causing 
irritation and pain, and teeze the animal instead of nourishing him ; 
of this disadvantage we are sensible, of its virtues we remain in 
ignorance, and though it loves the neighbourhood and association of 
man, yet it seems in no instance deserving his protection.” 
The Squirrel-tail Grass, which is often so pernicious in the hay 
in some parts of the Isle of Thanet, is said to be the Hordeum 
maritimum, and not this species. 
