Wild Oat - introduced (*Avena fatua)

Native to the Mediterranean area. Annual. C3.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Identification:

• it has an open flower spray
• the glumes are longer than the lemma body
• the spikelets are 2 or 3 flowered
• the leaves are flat
• the ligules are membranous or finely hairy and 2-6mm long.

Wild Oat is widespread in Victoria, but uncommon locally. It differs from Bearded Oat in that Wild Oat has short teeth at the tip of the lemma (compared wih the long tapering teeth of Bearded Oat). The two lemmas fall separately from the glumes.

It is an environmental weed.

Avena: oat; fatua: empty, barren.