Discussion on the Origin and Taxonomy of Naked Oat(Avena nuda L.)

There are five cultivated species in the genus Avena L.They are common oat(A.sativa L.),Ethiopian(Abyssinian)oat(A.abyssinica Hochst.),Byzant(Red)oat(A.byzantina Koch.),Hispid(Small)oat(A.strigosa Schreb.),and naked oat(A.nuda L.).Naked oat is characterized by its hulless seeds,while other oats by their hulled seeds.Naked oat is mainly planted in China and hulled oats are grown in other countries.Therefore,naked oat is important among oats in the world.However,the viewpoints on the origin and taxonomy of naked oat were disputable.The authors believe that the origin of naked oat would be the adjacent region of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia,and the taxonomic status of naked oat would be an independent species,i.e.,A.nuda L.