Spring wild oat

Avena fatua

Family: Poaceae Genus: Avena Species: fatua

Synonyms: Avena occidentalis, Avena fatua var. pseudofatua, Avena fatua subsp. glabrata, Anelytrum avenaceum, Avena nigra, Avena patens, Avena fatua var. intermedia, Avena fatua subvar. naniformis, Avena sativa subsp. fatua, Avena sterilis, Avena sativa var. fatua, Avena fatua subsp. cultiformis, Avena meridionalis var. grandis, Avena ludoviciana var. glabrescens, Avena fatua var. glabrata, Avena fatua var. pilosiformis, Avena fatua var. alcaliphila, Avena fatua subsp. intermedia, Avena fatua var. acidophila, Avena fatua subvar. zine, Avena fatua var. altissima, Avena fatua subvar. pumila, Avena fatua var. alta, Avena fatua var. pilosissima, Avena ambigua, Avena sativa var. sericea, Avena fatua subsp. meridionalis, Avena fatua var. mollis, Avena fatua var. hyugaensis, Avena fatua var. leiocarpa, Avena fatua var. elongata, Avena fatua subsp. septentrionalis, Avena fatua f. deserticola, Avena lanuginosa, Avena fatua var. nipponica, Avena japonica, Avena ludoviciana subvar. glabrescens, Avena fatua var. levis, Avena fatua var. pseudoculta, Avena meridionalis, Avena fatua subvar. pseudonana, Avena fatua subsp. brevipilosa, Avena fatua var. gravis, Avena fatua f. subcontracta, Avena septentrionalis, Avena fatua var. longiflora, Avena sterilis subvar. glabrescens, Avena sterilis subsp. fatua, Avena fatua var. glabrescens, Avena sterilis var. glabrescens, Avena fatua var. longispiculata, Avena cultiformis

Spring wild oat (en)

Gallery

Botanical Description

Avena fatua (wild oat, spring wild oat) is an annual grass of the family Poaceae growing on hollow, erect culms 30–120 cm (1–4 ft) tall, often tussock-forming from a fibrous root system. The long, flat, dark green leaf blades up to 1 cm wide are rough to the touch owing to small, stiff hairs along the margins and veins, and the leaf sheaths and seedlings are also softly hairy. The inflorescence is a large, loose, nodding open panicle 10–40 cm long bearing pendulous spikelets on slender, drooping branches; each spikelet is 2–3 cm long and contains two to three florets covered by long brown stiff hairs at the base, and each lemma bears a stout, sharply bent, dark twisting awn 2–4 cm long. The grain (caryopsis) is thinner, longer, darker, and more hairy than that of cultivated oat, and at maturity the spikelets readily shatter to disperse the seed. Native to Eurasia, particularly the eastern Mediterranean, A. fatua is now naturalised across most temperate regions of the world and is one of the world's most economically important cereal weeds.

Native Region: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, East Himalaya, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gulf States, Hungary, India, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Irkutsk, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Krym, Kuwait, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Manchuria, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Qinghai, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, South European Russi, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Xinjiang, Yemen, Yugoslavia

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

Documented Native American food uses include:

Cahuilla: The plant was used as a food, prepared as porridge (Bean & Saubel, 1972).

Diegueno: Used as a food, prepared as porridge (Hedges, 1986).

Kawaiisu: Used as an unspecified food (Zigmond, 1981).

Luiseno: A staple food (Sparkman, 1908).

Mendocino Indian: A staple food (Chestnut, 1902).

Pomo: Used as a staple, an unspecified food, and a winter-use food (Barrett, 1952; Gifford, 1967; Chestnut, 1902).

This plant has no known documented herbal uses.

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

225420

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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