GRASSES OF IOWA. 



189 



DESCRIPTION. 



Wild Oats. An erect, 

 glabrous annual, 3 to 5 

 (6-12 dm.) high, with Hat 

 Leaves and spreading pani- 

 cles of large, oat-like, nod- 

 ding spikelets. Spikelets 2 

 to 4-flowered, with empty 

 glumes I to 1 inch (i. : ,-2 

 cm.) long, and pubes- 

 cent flowering glumes 

 6 to 9 lines (12-18 

 mm.) long. Awns near- 

 ly twice as long as the 

 spikelets. Fields and waste 

 places from Wisconsin 

 westward; abundant in 

 grain fields on the Pacific 

 slope. June to September. 



Locally wild oats is abun- 

 dant, especially in north- 

 eastern Iowa and south- 

 western Wisconsin. It is 

 highly esteemed as a forage 

 plant, especially in Califor- 



Fig. 133. Arena fatua-a, empty glumes; b, n ' a - ^ ' s a °ad weed, 

 flowering glumes; (Div. Agros. U. S. Dept. of Agrl. ) however, in grain fields. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Iowa. Houston County, Minn. 5 Minnesota-Iowa line (Pam- 

 mel) ; Ames, 119 (Ball) ; Boone (Carver) ; Hull (Newell). 



North America. In fields and waste places, especially common 

 along the Pacific coast and the irrigated districts of the Rocky Moun- 

 tain region. Oregon (Howell), California (Parry; Auburn, 

 Pammel, 1), Colorado (Ft. Collins, Pammel), Wyoming (Buffalo, 

 Griffith and Williams, 126) ; also in the Dakotas (N. D., Fargo, Bol- 

 ley), Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. 



3. AVENA LONGIGLUMIS. 



Arena longiglumis Durien Duch. Rev. Bot. 1: 395. 1845-46 Steud. 

 Syn. Fl. Gram. 233. 



