Hordeum vulgare

Taxonomy and growth

Family

Gramineae

Genus

Hordeum

Life cycle

annual

Height

1 m

Spread

0.2 m

Fertility

Wind

Flower type

hermaphrodite

Pollinators

Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked as a whole grain or ground up and used as a flour for making bread, porridges etc^{[9][16][14][8]}. It has a low gluten content and so is unsuitable for making wheat-type breads[238, K]. The seed can be fermented into sourdough and many other fermented foods such as 'tempeh' and 'miso'^[8]. The seed can also be sprouted and added to salads or the sprouted seed juiced and the juice drunk as a health-food drink^[8]. The decorticated seed is called pearl barley. This is no longer viable since the decortication process damages the embryo. It is used in soups, stews etc^[11]. Malt is obtained by sprouting the whole seed and then roasting it. The seed is then ground into a flour and boiled in water. The resulting liquid is very sweet and can be used in making beer or other drinks, and as a nutritious sweetener in various foods.^[16][14]. The roasted (unsprouted) seed is used as a coffee^[14][8] and a salt substitute.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The shoots are diuretic^[10]. The seed sprouts are demulcent, expectorant, galactofuge, lenitive and stomachic^[7][10]. They are sometimes abortifacient^[10]. They are used in the treatment of dyspepsia caused by cereals, infantile lacto-dyspepsia, regurgitation of milk and breast distension^[7]. They are best not given to a nursing mother since this can reduce milk flow^[7]. The seed is digestive, emollient, nutritive, febrifuge and stomachic^[10]. It is taken internally as a nutritious food or as barley water (an infusion of the germinated seed in water) and is of special use for babies and invalids^[11]. Its use is said to reduce excessive lactation^[11]. Barley is also used as a poultice for burns and wounds^{[13][14][7][10]}. The plant has a folk history of antitumour activity^[10]. The germinating seed has a hypoglycaemic effect preceded by a hyperglycaemic action^[10]. Modern research has shown that barley may be of aid in the treatment of hepatitis, whilst other trials have shown that it may help to control diabetes^[12]. Barley bran may have the effect of lowering blood cholesterol levels and preventing bowel cancer^[12].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stems, after the seed has been harvested, have many uses. They are a source of fibres for making paper, a biomass for fuel etc, they can be shredded and used as a mulch^[2][6].

Environment

Range

Of uncertain origin.

Habitat

Not known in the wild, it is found in Britain as a relict of cultivation but does not persist^[5].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

no shade

Water

moderate

Hardiness

Zone 4+

Soil textures

sandy, loamy, clay

Soil pH

acid, neutral, alkaline

Drainage

well drained

Tolerances

high wind

Wind

Yes

Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil

No

Drought

intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils and in climates ranging from sub-arctic to sub-tropical^[1][6]. Easily grown in light soils^[4]. Prefers a calcareous soil^[16]. Best grown in a sunny position^[11]. Barley first came under cultivation about 12,000 years ago^[11]. It is widely cultivated in Temperate areas of the world for its edible seed, there are many named varieties^[15][8]. It succeeds further north than most other cereal crops (it succeeds in Norway at latitude 70° N^[3]), and at higher altitudes (it is a staple crop in Tibet)^[15][11]. The Coeleste group contains the hull-less barleys. Although lower yielding than the type, these hull-less seeds are much easier to harvest making them a much easier crop to grow on a small scale^[8].

Related plants

• Hordeum bulbosumBulbous Barley
• Hordeum deficiens
• Hordeum distichonTwo-Rowed Barley
• Hordeum hexastichonSix-Row Barley

References

1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

   ↩

2. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820

   ↩

3. Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-12-136450-x

   ↩

4. Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9

   ↩

5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

   ↩

6. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

   ↩1↩2

7. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4

8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

   ↩

10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

11. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

12. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2

13. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

15. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩1↩2

16. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2↩3