WHEAT. 235 



T. spelta (Speltz). — Grains enclosed in glumes, grows 

 better on poor, dry soils than most wheats, except emmer. 

 Ears, long and usually beardless; strong, upright straw, very 

 subject to rust. Much poorer in yield than emmer. Threshed 

 grain contains about 30 per cent. hull. The crushed grain is 

 used as a concentrate in stock-feeding. 



Distinguishing Characteristics of Emmer and Speltz. — 

 Emmer is always bearded, has short compact heads, consider- 

 ably less hull than Speltz ; the rachis attached to the spikelets 

 is sharp and pointed; and, finally, emmer is much more 

 drought and rust-resistant than speltz. Speltz is nearly always 

 beardless, has long and open heads, the rachis attached to the 

 spikelets is broad and flat, and the plant is very susceptible 

 to rust. 



These three wheats — Einkorn, Emmer and Speltz — have 

 possibilities from the point of view of the plant-breeder, but 

 commercially they are of little economical importance. 



T. polonicmn (Polish Wheat). — Heads, very large, eight 

 inches long and one inch thick, chaffy, with outer glumes one 

 inch long, grain translucent, vei'y pointed (resembling rye in 

 shape), and longest of the wheats, sometimes ^ of inch in 

 length. The straw is slender. Ordinarily it is looked upon 

 as a poor yielder. 



T. compactum (Club Wheat). — Differs from common 

 wheat principally in its short, stiff straw and short but com- 

 pact head. The yields are usually unsatisfactory, and it is 

 very susceptible to rust. There are numerous varieties which 

 are usually classed among the soft wheats. 



T. turgidum (Poulard, Kivet or Egyptian Wheat). — Is 

 grown mostly in the hot, dry areas bordering the Mediterran- 

 ean ; some of the heads are branched. They are closely 

 related to the durum wheats, some resemble Club Wheat, and 

 others common wheats. They are usually rather tall with 

 broad, often pubescent or glaucous leaA^es. The culmns are 

 thick, stiff and sometimes pithy within. Spikes are long, 

 often squarely-shaped with long awns, which are white, red 

 or bluish-red in colour, and occasionally black. Spikelets 

 arranged very compactly; glumes strongly and sharply keeled. 

 Those resembling the durums do well in South Africa under 

 conditions similar to those where durums do well. Many 

 wheats classed as dm'ums really belong to this group and 

 vice versa. The grain is semi-hard, and Poulard does better 

 in mild humid climates than in arid parts. 



