Particulars

Arboretum name: Mugiya: Barley
Japanese name: Ōmugi
Species / Family: Hordeum vulgare L./Gramineae
Okinawan name: Ufumuji

Plant Characteristics

Known as the ancestor of cultivated barley, Hordeum spontaneum C. Koch (Wild Barley) is found in a wide swathe of West Asia. The cultivated species of wild barley is grown worldwide, with principle areas of production in Europe, Japan, the U.S., Canada and Chili. With its aired stems growing upright, barley can grow to about 1 meter tall. The wide and firm leaves are shorter than those of wheat. Ears shoot up at the head of the stem where spikelets are alternately arranged at each node. The cultivated species can be divided into two types by the number of kernel rows in the head; six-row barley (kernel is vertically aligned in six rows, also known as Hordeum vulgare L) and two-row barley (kernel is vertically aligned in two rows, also known as Hordeum distichum L). Each type serves different purposes in use. In Japan, the six-row barley is called Ōmugi.

Uses

Grains: Ingredients for Miso and Soy Sauce, Animal Feed, Mixed-Grain Risotto, Barley Flour, Beer & Whiskey Brewing
Culm: Materials for Straw Hats and Wicker Baskets, Medicine from flour/powder　

Calendar of best viewing periods

• 
• 
•