Barbed goatgrass Aegilops triuncialis

Background: Barbed goatgrass originates from Europe.

Identification: Barbed goatgrass is an annual plant. Its height ranges from 20-40 cm tall with few to many culms. When young, the leaf sheaths contain white hairs, but once matured, they become more or less smooth. The blades are rigid, sharp, pointed, and spreading. Flowers on this grass weed are spiked and grow to about 3 inches in length, including the awns. The flowers contain 3-5 spikelets; the lower ones are broad, while the upper ones are rudimentary. Glumes are very tough each ending in three stiff, stout and spreading awns. They are strongly veined and terminate in awns that are about one inch long. The grain is about 1/4 inch long, resembling a wheat kernel.

Distribution: Barbed goatgrass is found abundantly in areas throughout the Southwestern portion of Calaveras County, overlapping into eastern San Joaquin County and Northwestern Stanislaus County as well as Yolo and Mendocino Counties.

Control: Contact local pest control advisor. Cattle grazing helps to reduce infestation. In a study in Mendocino County, two consecutive years of late spring prescribed burning nearly eliminated Barbed goatgrass.

Photo by: USDA: Agricultural Research Service