Avena fatua L.

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

avena, avena cimarrona

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 2000 - 3000 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Annual; culms 30–150 cm. high, erect or geniculate at the base, stout, simple.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades 10–45 cm. long and 3–15 mm. wide, glabrous, rough; ligules up to 6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle nodding, narrowly to broadly pyramidal, 10–40 cm. long and up to 20 cm. wide, loose, with rough spreading branches.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets pendulous, 18–28 mm. long, 2–3-flowered, the rhachilla articulated beneath each floret; glumes lanceolate, finely acute; lemmas 14–20 mm. long, densely bearded around the horseshoe-shaped basal callus with hairs up to 4 mm. long, stiffly hairy and finally brown in the lower two-thirds, green and rough above, unequally and shortly 2–4-toothed at the apex; awn 2.5–4 cm. long, geniculate, the column dark brown.

Figures

Fig. 28, p. 83.

Habitat

Weed of arable land; 2100–2400 m.

Distribution

K3 Europe, North Africa, western and central Asiaintroduced to many other countries

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172049/19394581

Conservation

LC - least concern

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Gramineae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Morphology General Habit

A weak annual.

Morphology Culms

Culms 40-150 cm. tall, 3-5-noded, solitary, or in small tufts, simple, erect or ascending from a geniculate base, terete, smooth, usually glabrous.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf-sheaths striate, dorsally rounded, the inferior often pilose, smooth.

Morphology Leaves Ligules

Ligule up to 6 mm. long, membranous, obtuse.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf-laminae 10-50 x 0.3-1.6 cm., linear to lanceolate-linear, tapering to a fine point, expanded, vivid green, glabrous or rarely scattered pilose, scaberulous on both surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 10-45 cm. long, up to 20 cm. in diameter, usually nodding, open and loose, pyramidal; branches usually clustered, rarely solitary (except the upper ones), spreading, filiform, loosely branched, scaberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 18-30 mm. long, 2-3-flowered (with a reduced terminal floret), narrowly oblong to obtriangular-oblong in outline, gaping, pendulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes equal to slightly unequal, 7-11-nerved, somewhat cross-veined, lanceolate, with the apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Lemmas 14-20 mm. long, 7-9-nerved, all awned, lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, with the apex 2-4-dentate, stiffly pilose towards the base, scaberulous towards the apex, densely bearded at the insertion; awn up to 4.25 cm. long, inserted around the middle of the lemma, dark brown below, green or yellowish towards the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Palea

Palea densely ciliate along the keels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers c. 3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 6-8 mm. long, tightly enclosed between the hardened lemma and the palea.

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

Annual-Relatively tall plants, 80-160 cm high

Morphology Culms

Culms 30-150 cm long, erect or geniculately ascending, stout, simple

Morphology Leaves

Leaf blades 10-45 cm long, 3-15 mm wide, glabrous, surface rough, ligules up to 6 mm long Leaves cauline

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles nodding (sometimes one-sided), narrowly to broadly pyramidal, 10-40 cm long and up to 20 cm wide, loose with scaberulous branches

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets cuneate, pendulous, 18-30 mm long, 2-3-flowered, the rhachilla disarticulating below each floret

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Persistent, exceeding florets, 18-28 mm long, lanceolate, apex finely acute

Fertile

Fertile lemma 12-25 mm long, with a basal callus, densely bearded around the callus with hairs up to 4 mm long, brown and densely hispid in lower two thirds, green and rough towards the tip, unequally and shortly 2-4-toothed at the apex, awn 2.5-4 cm long, geniculate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Ovary pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers 3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, 6-8 mm long, hairy all over

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Hilum

Hilum linear.

Ecology

Roadside weed or weed of arable land. Altitude: 0 - 2400 m.

Conservation

Least concerned.

Phenology

Flower (March-July), fruit (March-July).

Distribution

Distributed globally.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2000–3000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Nariño.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: shrubland.

Vernacular

Avena silvestre

Morphology General Habit

Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-150 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4-6 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-45 cm long; 3-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; nodding; 10-40 cm long; 5-20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches drooping. Panicle branches scaberulous. Spikelets pendulous; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 18-28 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded; obtuse; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 0.2 length of lemma.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 18-28 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded; obtuse; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 0.2 length of lemma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 18-28 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 7-11 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18-28 mm long; 1.2-1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7-11 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma lanceolate; 14-20 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; dark brown; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2-4 -fid; with irregular lobes; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 25-40 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea keels ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6-8 mm long; hairy all over. Hilum linear.

Distribution

Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

Reference

Aveneae. FTEA.

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology Culms

culms erect

Morphology General Habit

plants 80-160 cm high Annuals, prostrate to erect

Morphology Leaves

ligules acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

panicule equilateral-spikelets 15-22 mm long excluding awns, each spikelet with 2-3 florets

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

glumes almost equal in length, 18-25 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

florets all disarticulating at maturity scars on florets oval to round, rarely elliptic. lemma structure tough, apex bidenticulate or bisubulate to bilobed, awn inserted about the middle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Palea

paleas with 1- 3 rows of cilia along edges, with prickles along back.

Ecology

as a weed among cereal crops, on waste ground, by rivers, roadsides and railways, on limestone, in clearings in woodland and valleys. altitude no data

Distribution

throughout Europe, the Middle East and South­ East Asia. introduced and naturalized in North and South america, Australia and South Africa.

Conservation

least concerned.

Phenology

Flower (february-october), fruit (no data).

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.