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wild oats

slender wild oats

Habit Plants 60–80(150) cm tall.
Leaves

blades 10– 45 cm × 3–15(25) mm; flat or occasionally involute, scabrous.

blades 6–30 cm × 2–20 mm; flat to involute, glabrous or pilose.

Inflorescences

7–40 × 6–12 cm;

branches spreading;

disarticulation beneath each floret.

15–35(50) × 6–12 cm;

branches spreading;

disarticulation beneath each floret.

Spikelets

18– 32 mm with 2–3(5) florets.

21–30 mm with 2–3 florets.

Glumes

18–32 mm with 9–11 veins; awnless.

15–30 mm with 7–9 veins; awnless.

Plant

8–160 cm tall.

Calluses

hairs to 25% as long as the lemmas.

hairs 2–3 mm.

Lemmas

14–22 mm with 5–9 veins; leathery; thin and membranous at the tip, densely pubescent below mid-length, sometimes sparsely pubescent or glabrous;

tips bifid;

teeth 0.3–1.5 mm but lacking long bristle-like tips;

lemma awns 23–42 mm, arising in the middle 33% of the lemma backs.

15–26 mm with 5–9 veins; leathery, with dense, appressed hairs below mid-length;

tips acute, with 2 elongated; bristle-like teeth 2–4 mm;

lemma awns 30–45 mm, arising from about mid-length, twisted; bent.

Anthers

about 3 mm.

2.5–4 mm.

2n

=42.

=28.

Avena fatua

Avena barbata

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Disturbed areas, roadsides, grain fields, upland grasslands. 0–1100m. BR, BW, CR, Est, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; worldwide. Exotic.

Avena fatua invades upland grasslands, displacing native prairie species. It also can be a serious weed in grain crops. It may be the ancestor of cultivated A. sativa. Avena fatua × A. sativa hybrids resemble A. sativa but lack lobes on the wings of the lodicules and may have an awn on the lowest lemma.

Disturbed areas, roadsides, and upland grasslands. 0–600m. CR, Sisk, WV. CA, NV, WA; northeast to MT, southeast to NM; central Asia, Mediterranean region. Exotic.

Avena barbata is characterized by long, bristle-like lemma teeth. This aggressive annual displaces native species in moderately dry grasslands.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 363
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 363
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Sibling taxa
A. barbata, A. fatua x Avena sativa, A. sativa
A. fatua, A. fatua x Avena sativa, A. sativa
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