''Avena'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of Eurasian and African plants in the

grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

. Collectively known as the

oats The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human co ...

, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread throughout Europe, Asia and northwest Africa. Several species have become naturalized in many parts of the world, and are regarded as invasive weeds where they compete with crop production. All oats have edible

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

s, though they are small and hard to harvest in most species. * See Oat for a more detailed discussion of the oat as a food source.

Ecology

''Avena'' species, including cultivated oats, are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species, including

rustic shoulder-knot ''Apamea sordens'', the rustic shoulder-knot or bordered apamea, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is distributed throughout Europe, east across the Palearctic to Centra ...

and setaceous Hebrew character. For diseases of oats, see

List of oat diseases This article is a list of diseases of the cultivated oat ''Avena sativa''. Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases or disorders Nematodes, parasitic Viruses Oats The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called t ...

Species

Cultivated oats

One species is of major commercial importance as a

cereal A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...

grain. Four other species are grown as crops of minor or regional importance. * ''

Avena sativa The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human co ...

'' – the common oat, a cereal crop of global importance and the species commonly referred to as "oats" * '' Avena abyssinica'' – the Ethiopian oat, native to Ethiopia, Eritrea, + Djibouti; naturalized in Yemen + Saudi Arabia * ''

Avena byzantina ''Avena byzantina'', red oats, is a species of cultivated oat native to Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, the Transcaucasus, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Cultivated for thousands of years, it is better suited to warmer conditions than white or common oats (''Av ...

'', a minor crop in Greece and

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

; introduced in Spain, Algeria, India, New Zealand, South America, etc. * '' Avena nuda'' – the naked oat or hulless oat, which plays much the same role in Europe as does ''A. abyssinica'' in Ethiopia. It is sometimes included in ''A. sativa'' and was widely grown in Europe before the latter replaced it. As its

nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excre ...

content is somewhat better than that of the common oat, ''A. nuda'' has increased in significance in recent years, especially in

organic farming Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

. * '' Avena strigosa'' – the lopsided oat, bristle oat, or black oat, grown for

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals (includ ...

in parts of Western Europe and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Wild oats

Several species of ''Avena'' occur in the wild, sometimes as weeds in agricultural fields. They are known as wild oats or oat-grasses. Those growing alongside cultivated oats in agricultural fields are considered nuisance weeds, as, being grasses like the crop, they are difficult to remove chemically; any standard

herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page f ...

that would kill them would also damage the crop. A specific

must be used. The costs of this

and the length of time it must be used to reduce the weed are significant, with seeds able to lie dormant for up to 10 years. * '' Avena aemulans'' – European Russia * ''

Avena barbata ''Avena barbata'' is a species of wild oat known by the common name slender wild oat. It has edible seeds. It is a diploidized autotetraploid grass (2n=4x=28). Its diploid ancestors are ''A. hirtula'' Lag. and ''A. wiestii'' Steud (2n=2x=14), wh ...

'' – slender wild oat – from Portugal + Morocco to Tajikistan * '' Avena brevis'' – short oat – central + southern Europe * ''

Avena chinensis ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread ...

'' – Germany, Austria; introduced in China, Belarus * ''

Avena clauda ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread ...

'' – Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia * ''

Avena eriantha ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread ...

'' – North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, Caucasus * ''

Avena fatua ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespre ...

'' – common wild oat – Europe, Asia, North Africa; naturalized in Australia, the Americas, various islands * ''

Avena longiglumis ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread ...

'' – North Africa, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia * '' Avena maroccana'' – Moroccan oat – Morocco * '' Avena murphyi'' – Morocco, Spain * '' Avena prostrata'' – Morocco, Spain * '' Avena saxatilis'' – Sicily and small nearby islands * '' Avena sterilis'' – winter wild oat – Mediterranean, East Africa; temperate Asia; introduced in northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas * '' Avena strigosa'' – Spain, France, Portugal; introduced in other parts of Europe as well as in scattered locations in Australia, New Zealand, the Americas * '' Avena vaviloviana'' – Eritrea, Ethiopia * '' Avena ventricosa'' – North Africa, Middle East * '' Avena volgensis'' – European Russia

Species formerly included

Hundreds of taxa have been included in ''Avena'' at one time in the past but are now considered better suited to other genera: ''

Agrostis ''Agrostis'' (bent or bentgrass) is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass. Species * '' Agrostis aequivalvi'' ...

'', ''

Aira ''Aira'' is a genus of Old World plants in the grass family, native to western and southern Europe, central and southwest Asia, plus Africa. The common name, shared with the similar related genera ''Deschampsia'' and ''Koeleria'', is hair-gras ...

'', '' Ampelodesmos'', '' Anisopogon'', ''

Arrhenatherum ''Arrhenatherum'', commonly called oatgrass or button-grass, is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the grass family. Description Wild forms can resemble wild oat (''Avena'') or fescue (''Festuca''). Oatgrasses are very common pere ...

'', ''

Avenula ''Avenula'' is a genus of Eurasian flowering plants in the grass family. Over 100 names have been proposed for species, subspecies, varieties, and other infraspecific taxa within ''Avenula'', but only one species is accepted. The others names are ...

'', ''

Bromus ''Bromus'' is a large genus of grasses, classified in its own tribe Bromeae. They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses or chess grasses. Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 ...

'', ''

Calamagrostis ''Calamagrostis'' (reed grass or smallweed) is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the globe. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of ''Calamagrostis'' general ...

'', '' Capeochloa'', '' Centropodia'', ''

Corynephorus ''Corynephorus'' is a genus of European, North African, and Middle Eastern plants in the grass family.Danthonia ''Danthonia'' is a genus of Eurasian, North African, and American plants in the grass family. Members of this genus are sometimes referred to as oatgrass, but that common name is not restricted to this genus. Other common names include heathgrass ...

'', '' Danthoniastrum'', ''

Deschampsia ''Deschampsia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. The genus is widespread across many countries.

'', ''

Festuca ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ever ...

'', ''

Gaudinia ''Gaudinia'' is a genus of Mediterranean plants in the grass family. The genus name is a tribute to Swiss botanist Jean François Aimé Théophile Philippe Gaudin (1766-1833). ; Species * '' Gaudinia coarctata'' - Azores * '' Gaudinia fragilis ...

'', ''

Helictochloa ''Helictochloa'' is a genus of Eurasian, North African, and North American plants in the grass family. ; Species See also * List of Poaceae genera The true grasses (Poaceae) are one of the largest plant families, with around 12,000 specie ...

'', ''

Helictotrichon ''Helictotrichon'', or alpine oatgrass, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the grass family. The genus name comes from the Greek ''heliktos'' meaning twisted, and ''trichos'' meaning hair, referring to the shape of the awn. Most of the ...

'', '' Hierochloe'', ''

Lachnagrostis ''Lachnagrostis'' is a genus of African, Australian, Pacific Island, and South American plants in the grass family. They are often treated as members of genus ''Agrostis''. ; SpeciesRúgolo de Agrasar, Z. & A. M. Molina. 2002. El género ''Lac ...

'', ''

Lolium ''Lolium'' is a genus of tufted grasses in the bluegrass subfamily (Pooideae). It is often called ryegrass, but this term is sometimes used to refer to grasses in other genera. They are characterized by bunch-like growth habits. ''Lolium'' ...

'', '' Parapholis'', ''

Pentameris ''Pentameris'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native primarily to Africa, with a few species in Yemen and on certain islands in the Indian Ocean. A significant number of species are endemic to South Africa South Africa, offic ...

'', '' Periballia'', '' Peyritschia'', '' Rytidosperma'', '' Schizachne'', ''

Sphenopholis ''Sphenopholis'' is a genus of North American and Hawaiian plants in the grass family. They are known generally as wedgescales. ; Species * '' Sphenopholis filiformis'' - longleaf wedgescale - TX OK AR LA TN MS AL GA FL NC SC VA PA ...

'', '' Stipa'', ''

Stipagrostis ''Stipagrostis'' is a genus of African, Asian, and Russian plants in the grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal ...

'', '' Tenaxia'', '' Tricholemma'', ''

Triraphis ''Triraphis'' is a genus of African, Arabian, Australian, and Brazilian plants in the grass family. Needlegrass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * '' Triraphis andropogonoides'' (Steud.) E.Phillips, - South Africa, Botswana ...

'', ''

Trisetaria ''Trisetaria'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which share ...

'', ''

Trisetum ''Trisetum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses ...

'', '' Tristachya'' and ''

Ventenata ''Ventenata'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to Europe, North Africa, and central + southwest Asia. One species, '' Ventenata dubia'', is considered an invasive weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular ...

''.

Sociolinguistics

"Sowing wild oats" is a phrase used since at least the 16th century; it appears in a 1542

tract Tract may refer to: Geography and real estate * Housing tract, an area of land that is subdivided into smaller individual lots * Land lot or tract, a section of land * Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census W ...

Thomas Beccon Thomas Beccon or Becon (c. 1511–1567) was an English cleric and Protestant reformer from Norfolk. Life Beccon was born c.1511 in Norfolk, England. He entered the University of Cambridge in March 1526-27, probably St John's College. He studi ...

, a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

clergyman from

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

. Apparently, a similar expression was used in

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

an times, possibly by

Plautus Titus Maccius Plautus (; c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the g ...

. The origin of the expression is the fact that wild oats, notably ''A. fatua'', are a major weed in oat farming. Among European cereal grains, oats are hardest to tell apart from their weedy relatives, which look almost alike but yield little grain. The life cycle of ''A. fatua'' is nearly synchronous with that of common oat, and their relationship is an example of

Vavilovian mimicry In plant biology, Vavilovian mimicry (also crop mimicry or weed mimicry) is a form of mimicry in plants where a weed evolves to share one or more characteristics with a domesticated plant through generations of artificial selection. It is named ...

. Historically, growers could control the weed only by checking the crop plants one by one and hand-weeding. Consequently, "sowing wild oats" became a phrase to describe unprofitable activities. Given the reputation of oat grain to have invigorating properties and the obvious connection between plant seeds and human "

", it is not surprising that the meaning of the phrase became a reference to the destructive sexual liaisons of an unmarried young male, which result in unwanted children born out of wedlock.Quinion, Michael (November 1999): World Wide Words
Sow one's wild oats
Retrieved 17 October 2007.

References

* {{Authority control Cereals Poaceae genera Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Grasses of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus