TRITELEIA 



narrow-linear, 1 ft. or less long: scapes 8 in. or less 

 talebearing a bract-like spathe towards the top: fl. 1 

 (rarely 2), 1-1% in. across, pale lilac or pale blue, with 

 pointed segments violet-streaked through the center. 

 Argentina. B.R. 23:1921. B.M. 3327. R.H. 1859, pp. 

 350, 351. Gng. 2:59. -Hardy in most of the northern 

 states, although it does not persist long. Grown chiefly 

 as a pot-plant for spring bloom. Var. caarulea, Hort., 

 has porcelain-blue flowers. There are other horticul- 

 tural forms. T. violacea, with "delicate violet flowers," 

 is probably a form of this species rather than the T. 

 violacea, Kunth, a Chilean species. l, jj. b. 



TRITHRlNAX (apparently triple Tlirinax; applica- 

 tion not obvious). Palmacea. Four species of South 

 American fan palms, one of which was offered for cult, 

 in Fla. in 1889 and is now advertised in southern Cali- 

 fornia. The genus belongs to the Corypha tribe and is 

 distinguished from allied genera chiefly by the follow- 

 ing characters: fls. hermaphrodite; petals imbricate; 

 filaments connate into a tube: carpels distinct; styles 

 long, distinct, terminal in fruit. 



T. Brasiliensis is a little-known palm. It seems to 

 have been confused in the trade with Thrinaz Chuco, 

 which is referred in this work to Acanthorhiza Chuco. 

 The leaf-segments of the former are bifid; of the latter 

 apparently not. Andre says the species described be- 

 low is unique by reason of its sheaths at the base of the 

 leaves. These, he says, "are composed of fibers which 

 are at first parallel and longitudinal, then obliquely in- 

 tercrossed and finally plaited at right angles like the 

 mats of pandanus in which the coffee of the Antilles 

 and Bourbon is exported. At the summit these narrow 

 strips unite and form a series of very long, robust, re- 

 curved spines which are evidently designed to protect 

 the fls. and fruits against climbing animals." 



Brasiliensis, Mart. Trunk slender, 6-10 ft. high, 2-3 

 in. thick : leaf - segments 22-27, linear, free for two- 

 thirds their whole length, bifid. Brazil. I. H. 22:202. 



W. M. 



TRfTICUM (old Latin name for wheat). Graminew 

 The genus as now limited comprises two sections, 

 jEgilops, with 12 species of southern Europe and Asia, 

 one of which is thought by some to be the original of 

 our cultivated wheats ; and Triticum proper, which in- 

 cludes our cultivated wheats and spelts, that are re- 

 ferred by Hackel to 3 species. Annual grasses with 

 flowers in a terminal spike. Spikelets 2-5-fld. placed 

 flat-wise, singly on opposite sides of a zigzag rachis; 

 empty glumes ovate, 3-many-nerved, these and the fl. 

 glumes more or less awned: grain free. The three 

 species of our cultivated wheats are : 



monoc6ccum, Linn. One-grained Wheat. Spikes 

 compact, the joints readily separating at maturity; 

 spikelets with one awn and usually maturing but 

 one fruit. — The wild form occurs in southern Eu- 

 rope. Cultivated from prehistoric times but now 

 only to a limited extent, and mostly for mush and 

 "cracked wheat," and for fodder. 



Pol6nicum, Linn. Polish Wheat. Spikes very 

 large, compressed, mostly blue-green. — Original form 

 unknown. It is thought to be a true species because it 

 rarely produces fertile crosses with T. sativum, as is 

 also the case with T. monococcum, while the races of 

 T. sativum among themselves produce fertile crosses. 

 Cultivated in Spain, but not extensively elsewhere. 



sativum, Lam. Wheat and Spelt. Hackel divides 

 the numerous varieties into 3 races: (a) Spelts (T. 

 spe'lta, Linn.). Spikes loose, 4-sided: rachis articu- 

 late at maturity. (This race and the next are easily 

 distinguished by the fact that the grain does not fall 

 out when threshed.) One of the oldest of the cultivated 

 grains, the culture of which has decreased till now it is 

 grown only to a limited extent in a few countries in 

 southern Europe. (6) Ejoiers ( T. dicAccum, Schrank). 

 Spike very dense, laterally compressed, rachis articu- 

 late at maturity. This species has a history similar to 

 Spelt and its cultivation is now confined to certain 

 countries of S. Europe, where it is used chiefly for 

 mush and in making starch. Both of these races are 

 being tested in this country by the Department of Ag- 



TRITONIA 



1857 



riculture, and they may prove valuable in the drier 

 regions, (c) Wheats. Rachis not articulate at maturity. 

 Grain easily falling out when threshed. There are 4 

 more or less well-marked sub -races. (1) English 

 Wheat (T. tiirgidum, Linn.). Empty glumes sharply 



2579. Triteleia uniflora (X K), 



keeled at base; grain broadly truncate above; leaves 

 usually velvety; flour poor in gluten. To this belong 

 the Miracle or Egyptian Wheats (T. compdsitum, 

 Linn.), having branched spikes, which originated as a 

 sport. (2) Hard or Flint Wheats, Macaroni Wheats 

 {T. durum, Desf.). Empty glumes sharply keeled at 

 base; grain narrow and tapering, very hard ; awns long 

 and bristly like barley, in some varieties black. Culti- 

 vated in Mediterranean countries, especially for making 

 macaroni and similar products, and in Russia, where 

 it is used for making bread, when it is mixed with 

 10-25 per cent of soft red wheat. (3) Dwarf and 

 Hedgehog Wheats. Empty glumes keeled only in 

 upper half. Spikes short and dense, only 3-4 times 

 longer than broad : culms rigid. Grown in mountainous 

 regions of Europe, Chile and Abyssinia. The awned 

 kinds are called Hedgehog wheat. (4) Cosimon Wheat 

 (T. vulgare, Vill.). Glumes as in preceding, but spikes 

 longer and looser. There are many varieties grown in 

 this country, — some naked or awnless ("smooth"), 

 others awned or bearded, some with glumes smooth, 

 others with glumes pubescent ("velvet chaff"). Spring 

 wheats are planted in the spring and winter wheats in 

 the fall, the former group of varieties being grown in 

 the more northerly regions. , A . s . Hitchcock. 



TRlTOMA. See KnipJiofia. 



TRITONIA (name explained as follows by Ker-Gawler, 

 its author: "Name derived from Triton, in the signifi- 

 cation of a vane or weathercock; in allusion to the 

 variable direction in the stamens of the different spe- 

 cies"). Including Montbretia. IridacecB. Blazing 

 Star. A genus of South African bulbs (plants really 

 cormous), allied to Crocosmia, Acidanthera, Sparaxis 

 and Gladiolus. Baker admits 31 species (Handbook of 

 the Iridea3, 1892). Few of them are in general cultiva- 

 tion, although many of the species have been introduced 

 at one time or another. Those of the Montbretiaclass are 

 showy, hardy summer-flowering [bulbs, to be handled 

 like Gladioli; or they may be left in the ground pernia. 



