314 



COLLEGE BOTANY 



Asia, but this is not definitely known. It is said that the Chinese 

 grew wheat fully 2700 B.C. and " considered it a gift direct from 

 heaven." The ancient Egyptians and Greeks were familiar with 

 wheat, and it was also grown, in Italy and Switzerland at an 

 early date. There is no known wild wheat that very closely re- 

 sembles our cultivated varieties, but the emmer of Syria shows 

 certain resemblances which have led some authors to consider 



FIQ. 155. Wheat production. 



it the prototype of our wheat. There are a number of species 

 and varieties of wheat (Figs. 154, 155). 



The wheat production of the United States in 1915 was 

 1,011,505,000 bushels. Its uses are well known. 



Rye (Secede cereale} is an annual plant which is grown ex- 

 tensively as a grain. The roots are fibrous, the stems tougher, 

 longer and more slender than that of the wheat and the leaves 

 similar to those of the wheat. Each spikelet contains three 

 flowers, the two outer reaching maturity and the central ones 



