Hordeum murinum subsp. glaucum (Steud.) Tzvelev

Loosely tufted, bluish green annuals, 12–60 cm. Leaf-sheath straw-coloured, sometimes purplish, with auricles hyaline, glabrous, 1–3 mm, uppermost sheaths ± inflated. Ligule 0.4–0.6–(1.4) mm, truncate, denticulate and sparsely ciliate. Leaf-blade 2–12 cm × 1.5–5 mm, soft, flat, ± sparsely long hairy, abaxially scabrid on ribs near acute tip, margins finely scabrid. Culm 7.5–50 cm, erect or geniculate below, internodes glabrous. Racemes erect, very dense-flowered, green to purplish, sometimes dark brown when mature, 5–9.5 × 1.5–3 cm including the erect to somewhat spreading awns; rachis fragile, margins long hairy. Central spikelet ☿, pedicelled, the pedicel glabrous, polished, c. 1 mm, lateral spikelets ♂ or more often Ø, pedicels shortly pubescent, c. 1 mm. Lateral spikelets: glumes unequal and dissimilar, outer glume 20–24 mm, very narrow, awn-like, scabrid, inner glume 14–18 mm, slightly widened near base and with long (0.75 mm) hairs on margins, narrow, scabrid and awn-like above; lemma 10–12 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, abaxially smooth but with sparse prickle-teeth on nerves above, adaxially densely villous, awn 15–25 mm; palea ⊬ lemma, villous, keels scabrid near bifid scabrid tip; rachilla prolongation 1.5–2.5 mm, sturdy, sparsely hairy below, yellow to orange; lodicules 1 mm; anthers 1.5–2 mm, yellowish. Central spikelet: glumes equal, similar, 12–15 mm, widened near base, margins long (0.75 mm) hairy, awn-like and scabrid above; lemma 7–10 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, smooth except for sparse prickle-teeth abaxially on outer lateral nerves just below awn, whitish green, to purplish above, adaxially glabrous except for hairs at apex, awn 13–25 mm; palea ⊬ lemma, folded interkeel abaxially sparsely pubescent, nerves scabrid near produced ciliate tip, adaxially smooth but ciliate-scabrid apically; rachilla prolongation 3–5 mm, slender, pale green to dark green, short stiff hairy. Lodicules 1.0 mm, glabrous. Anthers 0.3–0.6 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.6–1.0 mm; stigma-styles 0.5–1 mm. Caryopsis 4–6 × 1–2 mm; embryo 0.8 mm.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing). as Critesion glaucum (Steud.) Á.Löve]