IIG Transformation of ^gilops into Wheat. 



in the precedinfj year belonged to a bearded or a beardless wheat? 

 This result has been demonstrated by my experiments. 



It still remains to notice, that M. Jordan, who has so strongly 

 opposed the opinion promulgated by MM. Dunal and Fabre — 

 that wheat is only a transformation of j^gilops ovata, — if he 

 admits, definitively, the supposition which we combat, would 

 accept by this very admission the idea that this transformation 

 oi JEfjilops ovata into wheat went through, really, one-half of the 

 course which has been assigned to it by those skilful observers. 



The constant sterility of j^giluj)s triticoides, if really demon- 

 strated, would not explain the origin of the differences which 

 separate this plant from j^gilojys ovata. 



Let us now examine the second supposition of M. Jordan. 

 If it be admitted that the transformation of y^f^ilops ovata into 

 JEfplops triticoides is the result of hybridation, which we believe 

 we have demonstrated, is it true that this latter plant is yet 

 merely, as lie thinks, a modification of u"Egilo]>s ovata, presenting 

 nothing of the paternal type ? The stature of the hybrid 

 yEgilojjs, which rises far above that attained by JEgilops ovata ; 

 its erect direction ; its far more robust aspect, even in the wild 

 state ; the breadth of its leaves ; the general form of its spike, 

 which reminds us of that of wheat, and which has earned for this 

 plant the name of triticoides, which M. Jordan justly regards as 

 "•'very happily chosen;" the direction of the awns; and, above 

 all, that keel which descends from the principal awn at some 

 distance from the internal border of the glume, — are not these 

 characters which belong to wheat, and by no means to j^gilops 

 ovata ? It follows from this, that if JEgilops triticoides preserve 

 some of the characters of the maternal type, which I am far from 

 denying, but affirm, yet it also presents very prominent marks of 

 its paternal origin. 



But the argument upon which M. Jordan especially insists, is, 

 that in spite of tlie modifications undergone by j^^gilops ovata 

 by hybridation, the hybrid product which results from its ferti- 

 lization by wheat would not cease to belong to the genus 

 /Egilops. 



The genus yJujilops is a purely artificial genus, preserved by 

 tradition, out of respect to our predecessors, but which does not 

 rest upon a single character really generic, and which, in my 

 opinion at least, may not be separated from the three species of 

 Triticum. M. Jordan distinguishes the two groups by the fol- 

 lowing characters : 1. in JEgilops, the spike at maturity becomes 

 detached from the stalk or lireaks up into pieces ; the spikclets 

 are not contracted at the base, which at least equals the breadth 

 of the rachis ; the valves of the glume are rounded on the back 

 and possess numerous nerves ; they bear several awns or teeth 



