36 



THE SMALL GRAINS 



42. Common wheats (Triticum vulgare, Vill.)- This 

 is the best known and most widely distributed of all the 

 subspecies of wheat, and includes probably a greater 



number of varieties 

 than all other sub- 

 species together. 



The characters 

 of this subspecies, 

 both botanical and 

 agricultural, are in 

 large part well 

 known. The spikes 

 are long in propor- 

 tion to thickness, 

 as compared with 

 those of some other 

 subspecies. They 

 are broader in the 

 plane of the rows 

 of spikelets, as a 

 rule, and narrower 

 on the sides of the 

 furrow between the 

 rows ; taper toward 

 the apex, but may 

 be very blunt or 

 even thicker above ; 



FIG. 12. Spikes and kernels of two varieties are usually loosely 

 of common wheat. (More than 2 natural size.) 



tormed compara- 

 tively, awned or awnless, and possess glabrous chaff, but 

 may be pubescent. The spikelets generally contain 2 or 

 3 kernels, but sometimes 4 or more. The glumes or outer 

 chaff of the spikelets are slightly keeled. The culm of the 



