1a. var. fatua (wild oats)
Spikelets with (2)3 florets, not readily disarticulating at
maturity. Lower 2 florets with the lemmas awned, the awns (18–)25–45 mm long,
bent or twisted below the middle, the lemmas hairy and with a tuft of hairs 3–5
mm long at the base. Fruits 7–9 mm long. 2n=42. June–October.
Introduced, widely scattered, mostly in eastern Missouri (native of Europe, Asia, introduced sporadically nearly worldwide in temperate
regions). Roadsides, railroads, fallow fields, crop fields, gardens, and open,
disturbed areas.
This is the weedy phase of the species, which is spread as a
contaminant in cultivated oat seed. Although it is a noxious weed in some areas
where grain cultivation is common, var. fatua is used as a forage grass
in portions of California (Tucker, 1996).