Arrhenatherum

Arrhenatherum, commonly called oats, is a genus of plants in the Poaceae family, with seven species and subspecies.

Description

Very common perennial plant, it grows in Europe and on the Mediterranean coast. It has yellowish roots and glossy stems with smooth, ray-like leaves that can reach 1.5 m in height, although they die in winter. The inflorescences grow in a panicle with 2 bisexual flower spikelets.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois and published in Essai d'une Nouvelle Agrostographie 55, 152–153. 1812. The type species is: Arrhenatherum avenaceum P. Beauv. ex Boiss.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 7, with somatic chromosome numbers of 2n = 14, 28 and 42, since there are diploid species and a polyploid series.

Etymology

Arrhenatherum: generic name derived from the Greek arrhen = "masculine" and ather = "edge", alluding to the edge of the male foil.

Species

• Arrhenatherum album (Vahl) W. D. Clayton
• Arrhenatherum calderae
• Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) Beauv. ex L. et C. Presl
• Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum
• Arrhenatherum elatius var. elatius
• Arrhenatherum kotschyii
• Arrhenatherum longifolium
• Arrhennatherum palaestinum