DESCRIPTIONS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 



185 



thick, and dense four-sided spikes ; leaves 

 broader than in T. vulgare, and usually clothed 

 with velvety hairs. It is especially cultivated 

 in the Mediterranean countries, more rarely in 

 England and Germany. The English wheat 

 yields very good harvests, but its flour is poor 

 in gluten and usually 

 grayish ; it is therefore 

 less adapted to cook- 

 ing, and prized less. In 

 Germany most kinds 

 are not sufficiently 

 hardy to winter well. 



The Miracle wheats 

 ( " Egyptian " wheats) 

 (Tr. compositum L.) are 

 formed by a special 

 group of varieties, with 

 branched spikes. Orig- 

 inally a sport,they have 

 become strongly hered- 

 itary. Their culture 

 is not profitable, for 

 the grains are. very un- 

 equally developed. 



6. Tr. sat. durum (Tr. 

 durum Desf.), Hard or 

 Flint wheat (Fig. 99). 

 Recognizable b}^ its 

 long, bristling awns. 

 Culm often filled with 

 pith or solid ; fruit very 

 hard, usually vitreous, 

 rarely mealy. Cultivated in the Mediterranean 

 countries, the most important grain in Spain, 

 and also predominating in N. Africa. Of 

 scarcely any importance in Germany. Several 

 varieties have coal-black awns. 



3. Tr. Polonicum L., Polish wheat (Fig. 100). A 

 very striking species with large, compressed, 



?IG. 100. Polish FIG. 101 .--Bearded 

 Wheat, Tr. Po- Spelt. Tr. sati- 

 lonicum. vum Spelta. 



