Poaceae
Medusahead
Taeniatherum caput-medusae
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Taeniatherum
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Common names
By language (7)
- Bulgarian
- Грапав тениатерум
- English
- Medusahead, Medusahead grass
- Esperanto
- Hordeo kapo de meduzo, Taeniatherum
- Estonian
- Kare odrik, Hatune odrik
- kab
- Tikdert n weɣyul
- Kazakh
- Қылқанды арпа
- Swedish
- Medusagräs
Synonyms
- Cuviera aspera (Simonk.) Simonk.
- Cuviera bobartii (Asch. & Graebn.) Podp.
- Cuviera caput-medusae (L.) Simonk.
- Cuviera caput-medusae var. aspera Simonk.
- Cuviera crinita (Schreb.) Podp.
- Elymus asper (Simonk.) Brand
- Elymus caput-medusae L.
- Elymus caput-medusae f. pubivaginatus Maire
- Elymus caput-medusae subsp. bobartii (Asch. & Graebn.) Maire
- Elymus caput-medusae subsp. crinitus (Schreb.) Maire
- Elymus caput-medusae subsp. crinitus (Schreb.) Nyman
- Elymus caput-medusae var. asper (Simonk.) Halácsy
- Elymus caput-medusae var. bobartii (Asch. & Graebn.) Fiori
- Elymus caput-medusae var. crinitus (Schreb.) Ball
- Elymus crinitus Schreb.
- Elymus crinitus var. major Velen.
- Elymus crinitus var. microstachyus Borbás
- Elymus crinitus var. minor Velen.
- Elymus crinitus var. siculus Lojac. & Degen
- Elymus intermedius M.Bieb.
- Elymus montanus Pall. ex Georgi
- Elymus platatherus Link
- Hordelymus asper (Simonk.) Beldie
- Hordelymus caput-medusae (L.) Pignatti
- Hordelymus caput-medusae subsp. asper (Simonk.) Pignatti
- Hordelymus caput-medusae subsp. crinitus (Schreb.) Pignatti
- Hordeum asperum (Simonk.) Degen
- Hordeum bobartii Asch. & Graebn.
- Hordeum caput-medusae Loret & Barrandon
- Hordeum caput-medusae subsp. asperum (Simonk.) Asch. & Graebn.
- Hordeum caput-medusae subsp. crinitum (Schreb.) Asch. & Graebn.
- Hordeum caput-medusae var. asperum (Simonk.) B.Fedtsch.
- Hordeum crinitum (Schreb.) Desf.
- Hordeum intermedium var. intercedens Hausskn.
- Hordeum intermedium var. intermedium
- Hordeum oligostachyum Flatt
- Leptothrix caput-medusae (L.) Dumort.
- Leptothrix crinita (Schreb.) Dumort.
- Taeniatherum asperum (Simonk.) Nevski
- Taeniatherum caput-medusae subsp. asper (Simonk.) Melderis
and 7 more.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Graminoid
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: mmigelan, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Rossen Vassilev, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Rossen Vassilev, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Sam Lubicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF Photo: garcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.