Poaceae

Avena species

Common Names: Wild oats

Plant Form: Grass. Size: Up to 2 m tall. Stem: Hollow, erect. Leaves: Flat, up to about 50 cm long, sheathed with a membrane-like structure at base. Flowers: Loose, open with group of usually 2-3 spikelets with a lance-shaped covering (glume). Fruit and Seeds: Elongated oval shaped seeds with long awns. Habitat: Pastures, agricultural land, grasslands, open woodland, roadsides, disturbed areas. Distinguishing Features: Distinctive as a genus due to large strap-like membranes at the leaf joint (ligules) without earlobe-like structures (auricles). Hard to identify to species level. Spikelets with covering removed are required to show seed awns and bristles. Impacts: Competes for resources with crops, hosts pests and diseases, decreases soil moisture, outcompetes native grasses.