The beard portion of the seed head of a cereal grain plant is  called, collectively, awns.A single awn is the bristle portion of  a seed of grain that extends up at the t â¦ op point of this seed.The  hull protects the endosperm, germ and bran portion of the grain  seed. Cereal grains which have such beards or awns are wheat,  barley, rye and triticale. single awn is the bristle portion of  a seed of grain that extends up at the t â¦ op point of this seed.