Summary. The disiribution of geneüc variants of a group of low molecular weight, chloroform-methanol soluble proteins (CM proteins), among Moroccan and non-Moroccan accessions of Hordeum sponianeum and among selections from several Moroccan landraces of H. vulgare and cultivars of the same species with widespread European origin, suggests that domestication of barley might have taken place in Morocco. An agromorphological characterization of the H. sponianeum accessions further supports this hypothesis. The possible Moroccan origin of the French cultivar "Hatif de Grignon' and of several Spanish 6-rowed barleys is also presented.