Relatives
Avena persica Steud. - Winter wild oat.
Taxonomic position.
Family Poaceae Barnhart., genus Avena L.Synonyms.
Avena ludoviciana Durieu, Avena sterilis subsp. ludoviciana (Durieu) Gillet et Magne.Biology and morphology.
Annual herb. Stems glabrous, 50-100 cm tall. Sheathes of lower leaves hairy, more rarely glabrous. Leaf blade 4-6 mm in width, flat, glabrous. Panicle diffuse, 25.0-40.0 cm long. Spikelets 2.0-3.0 cm long; 2-3 flowers per spikelet. Anthers 3.0-3.3 mm long. Self-pollinated. Blossoms in April-May; seeds ripen June-July. 2n = 42.Distribution.
Southwestern European region of the former USSR (including Crimea), the Caucasus, and the mountainous part of Central Asia. Invasive in the Far East.Ecology.
Occurs on open slopes and on hills, in sands, in meadows, along roadsides and as a ruderal plant in fields; occurs in the plain and the lower-mountain zones.Utilization and economic value.
Good forage and pasture grass in when young. High palatability for cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Used for grazing and for hay. Good drought resistance and seed productivity. Common ruderal plant.Literature cited:
Brezhnev D.D., Korovina O.N. 1980. Wild relatives of the cultivated plants of flora of the USSR. - L.: Kolos, 376 pp. (in Russian).Fedorov A.A., ed. 1974. Flora of the European part of the USSR. L.: Nauka, Vol. 1. 404 pp. (in Russian).
Grossheim A.A. 1939. Flora of Caucasus. Baku: AzFAN. Vol. 2. pp. 587. (in Russian).
Harkevich S.S., ed. 1985. Vascular Plants of the Soviet Far Earst. Saint Petersburg: Nauka. Vol. 1. 390 p. (in Russian).
Kovalevskaja S.S., ed. 1968. Conspect of Middle Asia Flora. Taschkent: AN Uzbekistan SSR, Vol. 1. 226 pp. (in Russian).
Rozhevitz P.U., Shishkin V.K., eds. 1937. Flora of the USSR. 1937. M.-L.: USSR, Vol. 2. 778 pp. (in Russian).
Shelyag-Sosonko Y. P., ed. 1977. Grasses of Ukraine. Kiev: Naukova Dumka. 518 pp. (in Russian).
Tzvelev N.N. 1976. Poaceae USSR. L.: Nauka. 788 pp. (in Russian).