Floral biology of Avena strigosa

Black oat is a plant of multiple uses in the agricultural system, however, without knowing exactly why, breeding programs have had little success in obtaining new genotypes. The goal of this study was to characterize floral morphology and evaluate if there is variability in Avena strigosa in its pollen viability. Thus, two cultivars of contrasting habits and cycles (IAPAR 61 – Ibiporã and UPFA 21 – Moreninha) were cultivated in a field and in a vase in the city of Passo Fundo, in the north of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Morphological evaluations were performed on the panicle, spikelets and pollen grains of the cultivars. The largest lengths of spikelet, rachilla, glumes I, glumes II, palea, ridge and pistil were found. in cv. IAPAR 61 – Ibiporã. Larger length of the rachis, lemma and floret in the apical and greater density of spikelets in the panicle were found in cv. UPFA 21 – Moreninha. As for pollen viability, the cultivars do not differ from each other, evidencing that only pollen grain measurements were contrasting.