| Stipa avenacea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Stipa |
| Species: | Stipa avenacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Stipa avenacea |
|
Stipa avenacea also termed as Piptochaetium avenaceum, and commonly called black oat grass or blackseed needle grass, is a perennial herb native to North America that reaches up to three feet in height. A member of the family Poaceae, its leaves are observed to be long and elongate and easily recognizable when flowering or fruiting.
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The Black Oat Grass consists of fine leaf texture that appear to be bristle-like. The seeds are formed as sharp needles. It can be identified by its open inflorescences, which are thin and usually cannot be seen from a distance. The branches within these inflorescences are very thin and thus can create effects of spikelets that appear to be floating in mid air. It also consists of awns, which are hairlike projections containing multicellular organisms that obtain nutrients through photosynthesis. The awns can twist and un-twist in circumstances depending on the humidity and temperature of the area, which is required for them in order to thrive within soil. They also protrude from individual flowers in the flowering clusters, which tend to develop between late spring and early summer (normally April - June). Panicles also exist within this species where it rises above the plant's rolled and thread-like leaves. It contains slender open branches, a few narrow scales and spikelets that consist of one flower. The ripened flowering heads within the spikelet remain on the grass usually until autumn, in which the awns tend to bend and twist, spreading widely from the scales. Also the palea (bract like organs found within species of grass) tends to be long and blackish, in which the upper part consists of bent and twisted awns.
Stipa avenacea is commonly found in the United States. Black Oat Grass have several types of habitat and have several ranges. It can be found in decidious hardwood hammocks, thickets, and dry woods, as well as upland woodlands and forests where it is found within the dry ground in woods, especially oak woods and dry openings. It can also been found within savannahs, rocky slopes, outcrops and clearings. This specific type of grass is mostly found with the southern and eastern parts of the United States, though it was claimed to be found in certain regions of the Midwest as well. Though it was documented that the Black Oat can be mostly found in Alabama and Pennsylvania, it was also claimed to be seen in the dry woods of Rhode Island and Florida, as well as in the western region of Ontario, Canada, and Wisconsin. There also were documented findings within North and South Carolina and Georgia, and was recorded to exist in several locations of Ohio and its surrounding states. Within the Midwest, findings were claimed near the border areas of Michigan and Illinois.
Many species of grasses are commonly used for studying botanical ratchets, which are referred to to surfaces that are common in plant awns and grasses and are usually used for seed dispersion and burial. One specific aspect in which Stipa avenacea is used for is the transport of plant awns is through the net transport in deforming environments. With the use of Stipa avenacea, researchers were able to conclude several types of deformation within the use of this plant. One kind of deformation is the deformation of the skins of animals, specifically with the dispersal of the foxtail, and shrinkage and swelling of the soil that is caused by the variation of temperature and humidity. The deformation of animal skin was believed to be caused by the wide dispersal of foxtail over large distances, posing as a threat to animals if it enters the nostrils or ears of the animal, leading to infection and at times, death. The swelling and shrinkage of soil is due to the burial of the seed and awn into the soil, making it a important item for when germination begins. Along with the deformation of certain environments by net transport, lengths of certain grasses can also vary. According to the study, Stipa avenacea, along with other Stipa species, appeared reveal a kind of kinking and coiling of their awns, causing different variations of the length of the awns. This would eventually yield linear strains of up to 20%. Due to this, it was observed that strain variations were possibly rectified in the direction of the grass tips. From this, researchers were able to consider a combination of time periodic hydroscopic of the grass awn and the surrounding substrates by deriving certain mathematical and biological equations that determined the scaling relation of the mean propulsion velocity of the awn. The end result they found was that the seed and displacement of each cycle shows a linear scale of grass length, revealing that the longer the length of the grass, the more easier it is able to rectify larger fluctuations in proportion with the length of the grass. This would thus conclude that long grass awns would serve more efficiently as fluctuation amplifiers. It was recently claimed by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that the Black Oat Grass is at risk to become an endangered plant species, even though it is found in several locations within Pennsylvania and its surrounding states.
Black oat grass basically has the same purposes and uses as any other type of oat grass that exists. Like many, they can be grown as cereal grains for commercial purposes, be used as a type of natural medicine, and also can be used as a food source that consist of high fibers and can lower high cholesterol. It can also be beneficial for gardening and soil care as well.
Oat grass is known to be a valuable food source. A study done by an organization called "Plants for a Future" concluded that the fact they can be grown as oats proves that person who consumes any type of product made from oats (such as oatmeal) consumes an average of 17% protein. Seeds in oat grass consist of a compound called beta-Sitosterol, which can be used to fight against certain cancers by preventing the formation of tumors. The seeds also provide vitamin and minerals and can lower caffeine intake by serving as a coffee substitute when roasted. They also are used as treatment for dry skin, itchyness, and eczema.
With the use of Oat grass, perennial grasses with feathery plumes can be created and be used as floral arrangements displayed in a variety of colors. It is hardy to USDA zone 2 (see Hardiness Zone for reference), normally allowing them to flower around the summer time. Oat grass can also produce oats that are drought-tolerant, as long as drainage is in good condition and the plants themselves receive plenty of sunlight, and thus are tolerable to soil. Also, sewing oat grass into the ground can serve as a net to cover seeds and prevent it from any predators (such as birds).
Oat grass also can be used to prevent soil erosion when planted along vulnerable areas (such as stream banks) where it can form a dense mat through water flow. They can also be used as a cover crop, in which they are grown after a crop has been cut so that soil can be replenished, and is thus plowed back into the garden rather than being harvested. It is commonly said that oat grass is a good choice to use as a cover crop because when they die during the winter time, the residue will be much easier to handle when working with the soil, while preparing for planting season.