Wild oat
Scientific Name: Avena fatua L.
Family: Poaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Growth habit and size: Herbaceous plant, typically between 20 and 100 cm tall, with fibrous adventitious roots.
Stem: Glabrous, ascending, and slender. Stems are rarely fasciculate or individually geniculate at the base. There are 2 to 4 nodes in a stem.
Leaves: Linear leaves with a wide blade up to 8-10 mm and 10-30 cm long, ciliate margin, ligule 3-5 mm, sheath embracing the stem.
Flowers: Panicle inflorescence, 10-30 cm long, pyramidal and wide, with spreading branches in whorls of 4-7. Spikelets pendulous in the lower branches, spikelets with 2-3 hermaphrodite flowers, 18-30 mm long, with articulated flowers detaching at maturity. Flowers from March to June.
Fruits and seeds: The fruits are caryopses, meaning they are small indehiscent ovoid grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
An invasive alien species widespread throughout Italy. Common in cultivated cereal fields, ruderal environments, and uncultivated areas. Grows from 0 to 1800 m.
Photo: Under a free license from Saxifraga, Rutger Barendse, Peter Meininger

















