14 THE BOOK OP WHEAT 



Leaves. When the internodes lengthen and the spike pushes 

 upward, the wheat is said to shoot. Previous to this, the 

 nodes are so close together that the plant seems to consist al- 

 most entirely of leaves. There are four principal parts to the 

 leaf : The blade ; the sheath, which clasps the stem and is split 

 down the side opposite the blade; the ligule, also clasping the 

 culm, and located where the blade and sheath join; and the 

 leaf auricle, thin projections growing from the base of the 

 blade. The first leaves of the wheat plant and the germ whorl of 

 roots do not live through the winter in some varieties. 



The Flower of Wheat is constituted collectively of the or- 

 gans of reproduction, together with the two inclosing chaffy 

 parts. The inner of these two parts is 

 known as a palea, while the outer and 

 lower one is the flowering glume. The 

 latter often bears a long appendage, 

 characteristic of bearded wheat. These 

 awns or beards vary greatly in length 

 even in the same spike, and in some 

 ~i varieties are deciduous upon ripening. 

 Their color varies from light yellow 

 to black. 



whe r a g t a lar^^anHiS The Spikelets.-Each consists of from 

 ^thei U ame b iftime orflSw:t w o to five flowers encased within two 



ering;C, flower before open- hard oval chaffy coverings called outer 



mg, a, anthers, /, filament, . T J 



Z, fodicule; D, flower about glumes. In common wheat each 



to P en - spikelet generally matures two, and 



sometimes three, grains. The glumes vary greatly in form, 

 color and size. The stem or rachis of the spike is of a 

 zigzag form. On each of its joints or shoulders sits a single 

 spikelet, attached by an exceedingly short rachilla. Arranged 

 alternately on the stem, with flat sides toward the center, the 

 spikelets usually give the head of wheat a square appearance 

 when viewed endwise. Viewed from the side, the spike may 

 be straight or curved; it may have uniform sides, or taper 

 toward both ends, or only toward base or apex; or it may be 

 clubbed at either end. The filling of the spikelets has much to 

 do with the appearance of the spike, which varies much in 

 different varieties. There is also great variation in compact- 

 Fifteen to twenty fertile spikelets, containing from 30 



