Avena
a genus of plants belonging to the order graminaceæ, or grasses. The A. fatua, or wild; the A. strigosa, or bristle pointed; the A. pratenis, or narrowed-leaved perennial; the A. planiculmus, or flat-stemmed; the A. pubescens, or downy; and the A. flavescens, or yellow oat, are species included in this genus.
The first of this species is akin to the A. sativa, or cultivated oat. It is a cerea suitable for cold climates, not reaching proper maturity in the south. It attains perfection in Scotland, and is largely grown there. A. nuda is the naked or hill oat, or peel corn, formerly cultivated and used extensively by the poorer classes in the N. of England, Wales and Scotland.