Hordeum murinum
L.
Poaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Mouse Barley
General Information
Hordeum murinum is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
Range
Europe to N. Africa.
Habitat
Disturbed ground and dry grassland[
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.50 m |
| Pollinators | Wind |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in most soils and in climates ranging from sub-arctic to sub-tropical[
171- Title
- Economic Botany.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hill. A. F.
- Publisher
- The Maple Press
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some detail about the plants it does cover.
]. Easily grown in light soils[
162- Title
- Ornamental Grasses.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grounds. R.
- Publisher
- Christopher Helm
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- 0-7470-1219-9
- Description
- Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
].
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked. Used as a piñole[
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
161- Title
- Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yanovsky. E.
- Publisher
- U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
- Year
-
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. Only used when easier and better foods were not available[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. The seed can be ground into a flour and used as a cereal in making bread, porridge etc.
Medicinal
A decoction of the plant has been used in the treatment of bladder ailments[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ in early spring or early autumn and only just cover the seed. Make sure the soil surface does not dry out if the weather is dry. Germination takes place within 2 weeks.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
