iO THE WHEATS OF BALUCHISTAN 



(hilt is the length mid arrau<4cincut of the aw us. on a wheat, may vary in several 

 ways.* All entirely beardless wheat is rare. In India, particularly, a large 

 number of wheats arc neither fully bearded nor entirely beardless, but possess 

 .-holt awns (»f varyiii,u leii.nlh. These awns may be so sliort as to form small 

 tips to the glumes or the wheats may appear to be half-bearded 'Die long 

 awns on a fully bearded ear are due to two factors, each of which when present 

 alone, produces a half-beanled ear which breeds true to this chaiacter. A'arious 

 types of bearding are shown in IMate 1. It is evident that any system in wliich 

 (mly two alternatives, bearded and beardless ears, are considered is incom- 

 plete and will result in the grouping together of a large number (;f very dilferent 

 forms. In the same way it has been shown that the felting in some wheats 

 is due to the presence of two kinds of hairs, while in others only one kind is 

 ')rcsent. The difference is easily recognizable macroscopically on single ears 

 by the density of the felting. 



Although it has also been demonstrated that the red colour of the chai! 

 and grain is not uniform in all wheats, but varies in tone owing to the i)resence 

 or absence of several factors for red colour,-' ^ nevertheless this is not of 

 "rcat significance in a botanical classification, as it is impossible to distinguish 

 accuratelv such differences except by breeding. It is sometimes possible to 

 distinguish two wheats by the tone of colour of their chaff but sucli distinc- 

 tioiLs can only be seen in tin' bulk and must remain of very miiun- inip(>rtance. 

 Thev can have no place in the main divisi(uis of a classificatory scheme. 



Two other characters which are not considered in the above scheme can, 

 jiowrvcr. be verv usefully employed in addition and these are glume-shape 

 and <M-ain-shai)e. As ])oint(M). out al)ovc. the distinctions between the sub- 

 species based on glume-shape break down to some extent. Wheats belonging 

 to T. rxifj'iir niav be f(mnd with distinctly rtninded glumes. This is an easy 

 character to determine in dried specimens and is therefore very suitable for 

 use in a Ixitanical classification. (Jrain-shape is also a character whicli can be 

 emijloyed as a means of distinguishing one wheat from another. Examina- 

 tion of the ])rogeny of a large number of crosses shows that this character 

 is dehnitelv inherited and is not materially influenced by changes in. environ- 

 ment. -V certain amount of piacticc is rc(|uired bi-fore the eyi^ can distin- 

 <'uish 1 ln' ilitfcri'nt lornis of grain but any one accustomed t o handler wlicat 



' II, , Nvaid ati.l llxwiinl. l/"/'"/)-.-' ',./'/" />'/''•"/ A'jr. in lixli'i (llnl. Sir.). \i>\. ill. no. (1, 

 l!)i:j. ;i.iul v.. I. \'. no. I. I'.li:.. 



-' NilsMon Khlf. Kv iiziniii.iiiiilersiicfiiiniien nv Hnfii ninl 11 '/•.»/(. Lund. I!tu<». 



» Houiird iiiul Hii\\:i,nl, .»/'/». «///i( Z>c/'/. "/ A'jr. in I lului (li,,t. S, r.). vol. Ill, no. (>, 

 1913. 



