These naked wheats may be no more than free-threshing forms of Avena sativa, caused by occasional mutations, and are perhaps better placed at infraspecific rank within Avena sativa[].

Common Name: Naked Oat

General Information

Avena nuda is an annual grass with erect culms; it can grow 45 - 90cm tall.
A form of oats, it is occasionally cultivated for its edible seed which, unlike that of the common oat (Avena sativa), is easily separated from the husk by threshing[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe - Germany to Portugal, east to the Balkans and Greece.

Habitat

Dry wasteland, cultivated ground and meadows, especially on heavier soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 22°c, but can tolerate 8 - 30°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,100mm, but tolerates 400 - 1,500mm[].
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in full sun[]. Prefers a poor dry soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.7, tolerating 5 - 8[].
The edible seed is easily separated from the husk by threshing[]. It is, therefore, suitable for cultivation on a small scale since it does not require any special equipment to extract it. It does, however, have lower yields than the conventional oat species (Avena sativa)[]. There are some named varieties[].
Oats are in general easily grown plants but, especially when grown on a small scale, the seed is often completely eaten out by birds. Some sort of netting seems to be the best answer on a garden scale.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , , , , ]. The seed ripens in the latter half of summer and, when harvested and dried, can store for several years. It has a floury texture and a mild, somewhat creamy flavour. It can be used as a staple food crop in either savoury or sweet dishes. The seed can be cooked whole, though it is more commonly ground into a flour and used as a cereal in all the ways that oats are used, especially as a porridge but also to make biscuits, sourdough bread etc. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw or cooked in salads, stews etc. The hull is incompletely attached to the grain, yielding a naked seed easily upon threshing[].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The straw has a wide range of uses such as for bio-mass, fibre, mulch, paper-making and thatching[]. Some caution is advised in its use as a mulch since oat straw can infest strawberries with stem and bulb eelworm.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in early spring or in the autumn. Only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.