SimplePlant

Poaceae

Medusahead

Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Taeniatherum

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Medusahead: The two pair of awn-like glumes per node combined with the single floret per spikelet and annual habit render this grass very distinctive among the wheatgrasses
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

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

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.