Herb: Bristle Oats


Latin name: Avena strigosa


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Bristle Oats:

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 roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
90 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

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

Other uses of Bristle Oats:

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 of the herb:

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

Cultivation of Bristle Oats:

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

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Avena strigosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.