Avena fatua L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: common wild oat, flaxgrass, oatgrass, spring wild oat, spring wild oat, wheat oats, wild oat

French: avéron, avoine folle, avoine sauvage, folle avoine

Spanish: avena guacha, avena loca, avena negra, avena silvestre, avenilla, balango

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Stout annuals; culms (2.5-) 4.5-9 (-19) dm tall.  Sheaths glabrous, smooth, with margins overlapping and eventually spreading; ligule 2-5.5 (-7) mm long, obtuse, erose-ciliate, often pubescent; blades flat, 3-10 (-15) mm wide, scabrous to somewhat pilose.  Inflorescences paniculate, 10-25 (-38) cm long, open; spikelets 2-3 (4)-flowered, rachilla densely pubescent, readily disarticulating above glumes and between florets; glumes prominently (7-) 9-11-nerved, first glume narrowly lanceolate, 19-26 (-29) mm long, apex acuminate, second glume lanceolate, 20-28 (-30) mm long, apex acuminate; lemmas 14-20 (-23) mm long, 5-7-nerved, the nerves often obscure on the glossy, indurate lower 1/2, glabrous to moderately pilose, bilobed , the lobes less than 1 mm long, callus usually densely pilose, awns usually only on first 2 florets, (18-) 28-45 (-52) mm long, stout, tightly twisted below the knee, tapering above; palea firm, the keels ciliate.  Caryopsis pale brown, linear-lanceoloid, ca. 6 mm long, appressed pubescent"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1499).

Description from World Grass Species.

Habitat/ecology:  "Grass- and woodland, riparian habitats, coastal sand dunes and beaches.  A grass that prefers temperate and cool climates, and grows best in moist soils.  The grass forms dense swards that displace native grass and forb species"  (Weber, 2003; p. 63).

In Hawai‘i, "common to occasional in pastures and along roadsides, 150-1,280 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1499-1500).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Eurasia and northern Africa, introduced into southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the New World"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1499).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1499-1500)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1499-1500)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1499-1500)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1499-1500)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1499-1500) Voucher cited: Hitchcock 13749 (US)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 40)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 24)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 24)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. plate)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 24)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 24)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 303) "A problem weed of crops, on roadsides and waste land and also in brackish soil and reclamation areas".
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. plate)

Control: 

Physical:  "Plants normally do not reproduce from vegetative parts, and mechanical removal may control the plant. Burning can reduce the number of seeds on or near the soil surface".

Chemical:  "Emerging seedlings can be killed by soil-applied herbicides such as trifluralin, barban or asulam"  (Weber, 2003; p. 63).

Additional information:  Identification and Management of Wild Oats

Additional online information about Avena fatua is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Avena fatua may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Edgar, E./Connor, H. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, vol. V: Gramineae. Manaaki Whenua Press. .

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 2. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 137 pp. + plates.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.