What is "hordeum murinum"

Wall \Wall\, n. [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a stake, pale, palisade; akin to Gr. ? a nail. Cf. Interval.]

1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room.

   The plaster of the wall of the King's palace.
   --Dan. v. 5.

2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense.

   The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
   --Ex. xiv. 22.

   In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls.
   --Shak.

   To rush undaunted to defend the walls.
   --Dryden.

3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls of a steam-engine cylinder.

4. (Mining)

   1. The side of a level or drift.

   2. The country rock bounding a vein laterally.
      --Raymond.

      Note: Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the formation of compounds, usually of obvious signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc.

      Blank wall, Blind wall, etc. See under Blank, Blind, etc.

      To drive to the wall, to bring to extremities; to push to extremes; to get the advantage of, or mastery over.

      To go to the wall, to be hard pressed or driven; to be the weaker party; to be pushed to extremes.

      To take the wall. to take the inner side of a walk, that is, the side next the wall; hence, to take the precedence. ``I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.''
      --Shak.

      Wall barley (Bot.), a kind of grass ( Hordeum murinum) much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under Squirrel.

      Wall box. (Mach.) See Wall frame, below.

      Wall creeper (Zo["o]l.), a small bright-colored bird ( Tichodroma muraria) native of Asia and Southern Europe. It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in search of insects and spiders. Its body is ash-gray above, the wing coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red at the base and black distally, some of them with white spots, and the tail is blackish. Called also spider catcher.

      Wall cress (Bot.), a name given to several low cruciferous herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress. See under Mouse-ear.

      Wall frame (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to receive a pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the wall; -- called also wall box.

      Wall fruit, fruit borne by trees trained against a wall.

      Wall gecko (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over the vertical surfaces of walls, to which they cling by means of suckers on the feet.

      Wall lizard (Zo["o]l.), a common European lizard ( Lacerta muralis) which frequents houses, and lives in the chinks and crevices of walls; -- called also wall newt.

      Wall louse, a wood louse.

      Wall moss (Bot.), any species of moss growing on walls.

      Wall newt (Zo["o]l.), the wall lizard.
      --Shak.

      Wall paper, paper for covering the walls of rooms; paper hangings.

      Wall pellitory (Bot.), a European plant ( Parictaria officinalis) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed medicinal.

      Wall pennywort (Bot.), a plant ( Cotyledon Umbilicus) having rounded fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in Western Europe.

      Wall pepper (Bot.), a low mosslike plant ( Sedum acre) with small fleshy leaves having a pungent taste and bearing yellow flowers. It is common on walls and rocks in Europe, and is sometimes seen in America.

      Wall pie (Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue.

      Wall piece, a gun planted on a wall.
      --H. L. Scott.

      Wall plate (Arch.), a piece of timber placed horizontally upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like. See Illust. of Roof.

      Wall rock, granular limestone used in building walls. [U. S.]
      --Bartlett.

      Wall rue (Bot.), a species of small fern ( Asplenium Ruta-muraria) growing on walls, rocks, and the like.

      Wall spring, a spring of water issuing from stratified rocks.

      Wall tent, a tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to the walls of a house.

      Wall wasp (Zo["o]l.), a common European solitary wasp ( Odynerus parietus) which makes its nest in the crevices of walls.

Squirrel \Squir"rel\ (skw[~e]r"r[e^]l or skw[i^]r"-; 277), n. [OE. squirel, OF. esquirel, escurel, F. ['e]cureuil, LL. squirelus, squirolus, scuriolus, dim. of L. sciurus, Gr. si`oyros; skia` shade + o'yra` tail. Cf. Shine, v. i.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents belonging to the genus Sciurus and several allied genera of the family Sciurid[ae]. Squirrels generally have a bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs. They are commonly arboreal in their habits, but many species live in burrows.

   Note: Among the common North American squirrels are the gray squirrel ( Sciurus Carolinensis) and its black variety; the fox, or cat, squirrel ( Sciurus cinereus, or Sciurus niger) which is a large species, and variable in color, the southern variety being frequently black, while the northern and western varieties are usually gray or rusty brown; the red squirrel (see Chickaree); the striped, or chipping, squirrel (see Chipmunk); and the California gray squirrel ( Sciurus fossor). Several other species inhabit Mexico and Central America. The common European species ( Sciurus vulgaris) has a long tuft of hair on each ear. The so-called Australian squirrels are marsupials. See Petaurist, and Phalanger.

2. One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder. Barking squirrel (Zo["o]l.), the prairie dog. Federation squirrel (Zo["o]l.), the striped gopher. See Gopher, 2. Flying squirrel (Zo["o]l.). See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary. Java squirrel. (Zo["o]l.). See Jelerang. Squirrel corn (Bot.), a North American herb ( Dicentra Canadensis) bearing little yellow tubers. Squirrel cup (Bot.), the blossom of the Hepatica triloba, a low perennial herb with cup-shaped flowers varying from purplish blue to pink or even white. It is one of the earliest flowers of spring. Squirrel fish. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. A sea bass ( Serranus fascicularis) of the Southern United States.

   2. The sailor's choice ( Diplodus rhomboides).

   3. The redmouth, or grunt.

   4. A market fish of Bermuda ( Holocentrum Ascensione). Squirrel grass (Bot.), a pestiferous grass ( Hordeum murinum) related to barley. In California the stiffly awned spikelets work into the wool of sheep, and into the throat, flesh, and eyes of animals, sometimes even producing death. Squirrel hake (Zo["o]l.), a common American hake ( Phycis tenuis); -- called also white hake. Squirrel hawk (Zo["o]l.), any rough-legged hawk; especially, the California species Archibuteo ferrugineus. Squirrel monkey. (Zo["o]l.)

      1. Any one of several species of small, soft-haired South American monkeys of the genus Callithrix. They are noted for their graceful form and agility. See Teetee.

      2. A marmoset.

         Squirrel petaurus (Zo["o]l.), a flying phalanger of Australia. See Phalanger, Petaurist, and Flying phalanger under Flying.

         Squirrel shrew (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic insectivores of the genus Tupaia. They are allied to the shrews, but have a bushy tail, like that of a squirrel.

         Squirrel-tail grass (Bot.), a grass ( Hordeum jubatum) found in salt marshes and along the Great Lakes, having a dense spike beset with long awns.

Hordeum murinum, commonly known as wall barley or false barley, is a species of grass.

It can grow to 30 cm in height and its unbranched spikes can reach 10 cm long. It is quite widespread and common. It flowers during May through July in mainly coastal areas. It produces small, dry nutlets and its leaves can be 8 mm wide with short, blunt ligules.

In the United Kingdom it is absent throughout most of Ireland and Scotland but is common in England and Wales.

Subspecies include ssp. leporinum, known as hare barley, mouse barley, and barley grass. It grows in tufts from 10 to 40 centimetres in height. It was first published as the full species Hordeum leporinum by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link in 1834. In 1882 it was redescribed as a subspecies of H. murinum by Giovanni Arcangeli. Today some authorities maintain it at the species level. It is native to Europe, northern Africa and temperate Asia, and it is widely naturalised elsewhere. Barley grass is known in Chinese as màiqīng and is a common ingredient in the spring snack qingtuan.

Hordeum murinum is an annual winter species whose seeds germinate and develop in the spring. It is also referred to as wall barley and are tetraploids. It is distinct from other species of the genus because of its morphology and molecular genetics. It is also distinct because of the barriers it has with the Hordeum taxa when it comes to its ability to cross with it.

Growth Requirements

Hordeum murinum complex is the most widespread of all the other Hordeum species. The center of distribution of Hordeum murinum is in the Mediterranean area, Central Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. A greater quantity of dry material is produced with medium precipitation and better distribution. Precipitation is the most important factor in the production of seeds for this species. In the years that are more dry with early or late rainfalls, there is no chance of re-seeding for this species. The species uses a greater part of its reproductive resources for seed production, allowing it to adapt to different water conditions. Controlling the seeding rate favors high-quality strand of barley. The sowing rate for wall barley increases when seed production and forage increases. This helps to obtain ideal and sustainable forage and seed yield in rangelands of Jordan. The height of the plant and protein content does not respond to seeding rates, but the height of the plant and protein content does vary with years. Anatomical characteristics of leaf blades differ between the taxa. This weedy species along with hare barley and smooth barley can be hard to control.

Subspecies

Hordeum leporinum is a subspecies of Hordeum murinum. It is also known as hare barley. Hordeum leporinum is found in the Mediterranean region near continental, oceanic, and colder climates. The flowers of this is attached to branches rather than to the main axis. Another subspecies of Hordeum murinum is Hordeum glaucum. It appears in warmer climates of the Mediterranean region. Hordeum leporinum is a more dominant species in areas where the rainfall is greater than 425 mm. Hordeum glaucum is more dominant in semiarid regions where rainfall is less than 425mm. Hordeum leporinum and Hordeum glaucum differ primarily because of their chromosome numbers, spikelet morphology, and geographical distribution. Within Hordeum, there are 2 subgenera and 4 sections with 4 different genotypes. The clade that is the sister taxon to Hordeum murinum is H. bulbosum and H. vulgare.

Uses

Weedy barley species is an important component of annual pastures. This is useful for feeding grazing animals and useful for us because we then eat these animals. It is also the main source of forage for cattle production in areas with water deficits. Hordeum murinum is any economically important cereal crop in the tribe Triticea.They use the seed part of Hordeum murinum and ground it into a flour. This is then used to make bread or porridge.