Common wild oat

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• spring wild oat
• wild oats
• Wild Oat
• Wild-oat
• Common Wild Oats
• flaxgrass
• wheat oats

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

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

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Avena fatua, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Poales and the family Poaceae. Finally, its taxonomic classification is completed within the genus Avena.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Avena fatua, exhibits a specific distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. Its presence is well-documented in Denmark, where it grows within various local ecosystems. It also inhabits the northern landscapes of Finland and the rugged terrains of Norway. Furthermore, the species can be found throughout the islands of Great Britain. Finally, its geographical range extends to the verdant countryside of Ireland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Avena fatua is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and human-altered landscapes. It thrives predominantly in anthropic areas (Área Antrópica), where it often colonizes disturbed soils, agricultural fields, and roadside environments shaped by human activity. This species exhibits an extensive vertical distribution across varying landscapes, occupying an elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends to significant altitudes of up to 3900 m AMSL. This broad altitudinal tolerance allows it to persist in a wide array of climatic zones, ranging from lowland tropical or temperate regions to high-altitude montane ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

3900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Avena fatua is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant survives the unfavorable seasons through highly resilient seeds rather than persistent vegetative structures, allowing it to colonize disturbed areas efficiently. Its growth pattern is strictly deciduous, shedding its foliage as it reaches physiological maturity and enters the senescence phase to prepare for dormancy. This life strategy ensures that the plant remains highly opportunistic, utilizing its therophytic life form to rapidly exploit available resources before transitioning entirely into its reproductive stage.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Avena fatua is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody, graminoid herb. As a terrestrial plant, it functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. The plant exhibits a self-supporting structure with an ascending shoot orientation, reaching a minimum height of 0.25 m, a maximum height of 1.6 m, and an average height of approximately 0.98 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

graminoid

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.6 m

Plant height mean:

0.983333333333333 m

Plant height min:

0.25 m

Shoot orientation :

ascending

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Avena fatua is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating its metabolic adaptation to temperate environments where carbon fixation occurs primarily through the Calvin cycle. The plant's vegetative morphology is defined by linear-lanceolate leaves that lack thorns or spines, possessing entire margins. These leaves exhibit significant dimensional variability, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 10 cm up to a maximum of 50 cm, and widths spanning from 0.4 cm to a maximum of 1 cm, resulting in a mean leaf width of 1 cm and a mean leaf size of 52.275 cm². The Specific Leaf Area (SLA) averages 217.75 cm²/g, reflecting its leaf mass per area and resource allocation strategy. Furthermore, the plant is strictly non-carnivorous, relying on standard soil-based nutrient uptake rather than insectivorous mechanisms.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

linear-lanceolate

Leaf length max:

50 cm

Leaf length min:

10 cm

Leaf margin :

entire

Leaf size mean:

52.275 cm²

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width mean:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.4 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

217.75 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Avena fatua is characterized by a sexual process involving bisexual flowers, with asexual reproduction being entirely absent. The plant produces inflorescences in the form of a panicle, which can range in length from a minimum of 0.1 m to a maximum of 0.4 m. The individual flowers within these inflorescences measure between 1.5 cm and 2 cm in length. Flowering typically begins in June and concludes in August. The pollination syndrome is abiotic, specifically relying on the wind for the transfer of pollen, and self-fertilization is noted as absent. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry fruits that contain a high volume of seeds, ranging from 101 to 1000 seeds per fruit. The resulting seeds have a mean length of 7 mm, a mean width of 2 mm, and a mean volume of 12 mm³. The seed mass varies, with a mean of approximately 0.02099 g, a minimum of 0.00415 g, and a maximum of 0.0222 g. Dispersal of the seeds occurs through both anemochorous (wind) and zoochorous (animal) syndromes.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flower length max:

2 cm

Flower length min:

1.5 cm

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit dryness :

dry

Inflorescence :

panicle

Inflorescence length max:

0.4 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.1 m

Pollination syndrome :

wind

Pollination syndrome :

abiotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

7 mm

Seed mass max:

0.0222 g

Seed mass mean:

0.02099284375 g

Seed mass min:

0.00415 g

Seed volume max:

12 mm³

Seed width mean:

2 mm

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Avena fatua has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include SE, ZN, citric acid.

SE

1. Biological trace element research

ZN

1. Biological trace element research

citric acid

1. Heliyon

Activities

Avena fatua has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant.

Antibacterial

1. Food science & nutrition

Antioxidant

1. Food science & nutrition

Conditions

Avena fatua has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Food science & nutrition

Preparations

Avena fatua has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include plant extracts.

Plant extracts

1. Food science & nutrition