page_title: Barley
section_title: Biology
hierarchical_section_title: Barley / Biology
caption_attribution_description: Barley (Hordeum vulgare) - United States National Arboretum
context_page_description: Barley, a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Barley has been used as animal fodder, as a source of fermentable material for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley bread of various cultures. Barley grains are commonly made into malt in a traditional and ancient method of preparation.
  In 2017, barley was ranked fourth among grains in quantity produced behind maize, rice and wheat.
context_section_description: Barley is a member of the grass family. It is a self-pollinating, diploid species with 14 chromosomes.  The wild ancestor of domesticated barley, Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum, is abundant in grasslands and woodlands throughout the Fertile Crescent area of Western Asia and northeast Africa, and is abundant in disturbed habitats, roadsides, and orchards. Outside this region, the wild barley is less common and is usually found in disturbed habitats. However, in a study of genome-wide diversity markers, Tibet was found to be an additional center of domestication of cultivated barley.
caption: Barley
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