This annual barley with a mainly Mediterranean distribution is present in Sardinia, Lazio, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily, and has been reported as a weed also from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It grows in salt meadows, usually along the coast, more rarely in the interior, from sea level to approximately 700 m. The species is common in the outer belt of the Sardinian temporary ponds. The genus name, already used by the Romans, is assonant with the Latin 'fórdeum' and the Greek 'phorbé' (fodder); the species name refers to the geniculate-ascending stems; the Italian name refers to G. Gussone (1787-1866), author of important works on the flora of Sicily and Southern Italy. Flowering period: April to May.

Italian name(s): Orzo marino di Gussone (Italia).