Avena barbata
barbed oat, slender oat, slender wild oat, slim oat
60-80 (150) cm, initially prostrate, usually becoming erect.
of the basal leaves pilose, upper sheaths usually glabrous;
ligules 1-6 mm, obtuse;
blades 6-30 cm long, 2-20 mm wide, glabrous or pilose.
15-35.5 (50) cm long, 6-12 cm wide, erect or nodding.
21-30 mm, with 2-3 florets;
disarticulation beneath each floret;
disarticulation scars elliptic to triangular.
subequal, 15-30 mm, 7-9-veined;
calluses bearded, hairs 2-3 mm;
lemmas 15-26 mm, densely strigose below midlength, apices acute, biaristate, 2 veins extending 2-4 mm beyond the apices, awns 30-45 mm, arising about midlength, geniculate;
lodicules narrowly triangular, without lobes on the wings;
anthers 2.5-4 mm.
= 28.
Avena barbata
Avena barbata is native to the Mediterranean region and central Asia. It has become naturalized in western North America, particularly California, displacing native grasses. It was collected once in Vancouver, British Columbia, but should be considered a waif there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
