Range barley was a species of grain native to the planet Sphinx in the Manticore System. It was an alpine grass with a bearded head. While edible by humans, it had a rather astringent taste which mad it rather unpopular with the early colonists. It could be ground into flour and baked, or be more coarsely ground and made into a porridge. The treecat name for range barley was golden ear. (SK2)