oats

genus Avena

Member of grasses (family Poaceae)
grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies (order Poales)
monocots (class Liliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

A stiff awn is springs from near the middle of the lemma.

wild oat
Avena fatua

wild oat
Avena fatua

glumes 18–32 mm, 9–11-veined
2–3 florets
callus bearded
lemma soft-hairy in lower ⅓
lemma tip ragged or 2-forked with teeth ≤ 1.5 mm
awn of lowest floret 25–40 mm, bent, twisted below bend

slender wild oat
Avena barbata

glumes 15–30 mm, 5–9-veined
2–3 florets
callus bearded
lemma generally densely soft-hairy below awn
lemma bristle-tipped with teeth 2–6 mm
awns 20–45 mm, bent, twisted below bend

common oat
Avena sativa

glumes 15–50 mm, 7–9-veined
1–2 florets
callus glabrous
lemma glabrous or nearly so
lemma tip acute to minutely 2-forked
awn of upper floret 15–30 mm (or none), straight, slightly twisted
awn of lower floret < 15 mm (or none)

1 observed taxon / 2 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 2 (none are research grade)

Locations:

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
Henry Coe SP

Months:

Apr.: 1
May: 0
Jun.: 1

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora