Source: California Invasive Plant Council


URL of this page: http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/plant_profiles/Avena_fatua.php
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Avena fatua (wild oat)

Avena fatua
Avena fatua
Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Avena fatua (wild oat) is a winter annual grass (family Poaceae) that is a common agricultural weed. It grows in most grassland sites within the state, particularly in sandy/poor soils, often on the road verges. It is one of the annual grasses that was introduced as a forage species and has replaced the native perennial grasses.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Moderate

Cal-IPC Resources on Avena fatua

Cal-IPC News Articles

  • None for this species.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

  • Devender, T. R. V., R. S. Frlger, et al. (1997). Exotic plants in the Sonoran desert region, Arizona and Sonora. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '97. Concord, CA.
  • Marler, M. J. and R. M. Callaway (2000). Role of mycorrhizae in Centaurea invasions. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium 2000. Concord, CA.
  • Minnich, R. A. (1994). Effects of exotic plants on three California ecosystems. California Exotic Pest Plant Symposium '94. Sacramento, CA.
  • Minnich, R. A. (2004). California’s fading wildflower legacy. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2004. Ventura, CA.

Other Resources on Avena fatua

  • USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
  • Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
  • CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
  • CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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