WILD EMMER 



181 



The empty glumes of the apical spikelet are almost symmetrical with 

 two strong nerves which terminate in blunt points. 



The flowering glume is boat-shaped, 10-15 mm. long and 5-7 mm. 

 broad, rounded on the back, mostly with 9 nerves, membranous, in colour 

 like the empty glume, and slightly divided near the apex, the free apical 

 points being about i mm. long. It possesses a very scabrid and slightly 

 dorsal awn. Awns are always present on the two lowest flowering glumes 

 of the spikelet, and are often of nearly equal dimensions, generally 10-12 

 cm. long, but in some cases reaching a length of 18 cm. or more ; 

 occasionally the awn of the upper of these two flowers is only about half 

 the length of that of the lower one, small ears then resembling some 

 forms of T. aegilopoides . 



The palea, which is about as long as the flowering glume, is smooth 



1 23456789 



FIG. 119. Empty glumes of forms of T. dicoccoides ( x 2). 



and membranous, divided at the tip, two-nerved and bicarinate, the two 

 ciliate keels often slightly scabrid near the tip. 



The flowers resemble those of other wheats and generally have purple 

 anthers, though in a few forms the latter are yellow. 



Anthesis first occurs in the spikelets nearer the apex of the ear than is 

 the case among cultivated wheats. 



The caryopses are reddish, long and narrow, pointed at both ends and 

 compressed laterally, the dorsal side forming a ridge ; the ventral furrow 

 is a narrow V-shaped groove, the flanks right and left of the furrow angular. 



In profile the ventral side of the grain is a straight line, thus differing 

 from T. aegilopoides, whose outline is strongly curved on the ventral as well 

 as the dorsal side. 



At the apex of the grain is a tufted " brush" of whitish hairs 1-1-5 

 mm. long (Fig. 120). 



The endosperm is flinty. 



