Difference Between Wheat and Oats

1. Plant Differences

The wheat stems are erect, clumped, with 6 to 7 nodes, 60 to 100 cm high, and 5 to 7 mm in diameter. The leaf sheaths loosely wrap around the stems, the ligules are membranous, about 1 mm long, and the leaves are long lanceolate.

The stems of oats are upright and smooth, the leaf sheaths are smooth and slightly hairy on the back, the ligules are large, without auricles, and the leaf blades are flat.

2. Flower Differences

The wheat spike inflorescence is upright, about 5 to 10 cm long and 1 to 1.5 cm wide, and the spikelet contains 3 to 9 flowers.

The flowers of oats are in panicles, with erect or drooping spikes, terminal inflorescences, and spikelets containing two or more flowers.

3. Fruit Difference

Wheat fruit is a caryopsis with yellow-brown peel, oblate or oval in shape, slightly pointed or blunt at both ends, with starch granules inside. The fruit powder is white with small yellow-brown peel flakes.

The lemma of oats is broad and grassy, ​​the lemma is hard and hairless, some have awns and some do not; the ventral side of the caryopsis has longitudinal grooves and is covered with sparse hairs; when mature, the palea and lemma tightly hold the grain and are not easy to separate.