An awn is a hairy or bristle-like growth on a plant. On the seeds of grasses such as barley or rye, they form foxtails which assist seed dispersal by being barbed and so sticking to passing animals.

Awns have potential impacts on plant performance through their known functions during grain development, such as carbon accumulation and remobilization, and improved water-use efficiency [5, 6, 7].

The identification of biological mechanisms underlying the development of complex quantitative traits, including those that contribute to plant architecture, yield and quality potential, and seed dispersal, is a major focus in the evolutionary biology and plant breeding. The awn, a bristle-like extension from the lemma in the floret, is one of ...

2024年12月1日 · Awns are, most frequently, distal bristle-like extensions of lemmas — outer protective organs of grass flowers (Figure 1 a). Although not always adaptive, awns can have diverse roles, including in herbivore protection, diaspore dispersal, seed germination, and seed maturation [4, ∗∗5, ∗∗6].

2022年9月26日 · The awn of grasses is a long, conspicuous outgrowth of the floral bracts in a grass spikelet. It is known to impact agricultural yield, but we know little about its broader ecological function, nor the selective forces that lead to its evolution. Grass awns are phenotypically diverse across the extant ~12,000 species of Poaceae.

2023年2月4日 · Awns are needle-like extensions at the top of lemma or glumes of Poaceae family members and are involved in leaf metamorphosis and long-term adaptation and evolution [1, 2]. Awn length is considered an important morphological marker for distinguishing different varieties of cereal crops [3].

…may develop one or more awns, needlelike structures that may catch on animal fur. The base of the spikelet may be hardened into a pointed, hairy callus. The callus is usually best developed in spikelets with an awn that twists when atmospheric humidity changes. As the awn twists, it drills…

2020年10月21日 · Awns appear to improve photosynthesis, provide assimilates for grain filling, thus contributing to the final grain yield, especially under temperature- and water-stress conditions. Long awns,...

Awns are extending structures from lemmas in grasses and are very active in photosynthesis, contributing directly to the filling of the developing grain. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) awns are highly diverse in shape and length and are known to be controlled by multiple awn-related genes.

2023年8月4日 · Awns are bristle-like extensions of the glumes and/or husks of many grass species including the major crop plants such as wheat, rice, barley, and rye. The awns provide protection against pests and foraging animals. They are considered important due to their physiological role in photosynthesis [1].