TRITICUM. 



Uen. 40. Schreb*. 5J. Willd. Sp. PI. v. i. 476. Mart. 

 Mill. Dia. V. 4. Sm. Fl. Brit.. 157. Prodr. Fl. Grxc 

 Sibth. V. I. 74. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. i. 180. Brown 

 Prodr. Nov. Holl. v. i. 178. Schrad. Germ. v. i. 389. 

 Purfti 90. Juir. 32. Tourn. t. 292, 293. Lamai-ck II- 

 luftr. t. 49. Gsrtn. t. 81. Kuntii Nov. Gen. et Spec. 

 V. 1. 179. — Clafs and ox&tr, Triandria Digynia, Nat. Ord. 

 Cramlna. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Common receptacle zigzag, toothed, 

 elongated into a fpike. Glume tranfverle, containing about 

 three or more flowers, and confifting of two ovate, bluntifh, 

 concave valves. Cor. of two nearly equal valves, the fize 

 of the calyx ; the outermoft tumid, obtafe with a point, or 

 awn ; the inner flat. Ne€lary of two acute fcales, gibbous 

 at the bale. Slam. Filaments three, capillary ; anthers 

 pendulous, oblong, cloven at each end. Pi/}. Germen fu- 

 perior, turbinate ; flyles two, capillary, reflexed ; ftigmas 

 feathery. Peric. none, the corolla embracing the feed till it 

 is full-grown and ripe, then letting it go. Seed foiitary, 

 ovate-oblong, blunt at each end, convex at the outer fide, 

 marked with a longitudinal furrow on the inner. 



Eff. Ch. Calyx of two valves, foiitary, tranfverfe, many- 

 flowered, on a zigzag, toothed receptacle. 



We have already adverted to the difficulty of diftinguirti- 

 ing this genus from Secale ; fee that article. They both 

 agree in the tranfverfe, or lateral, pofition of their bivalve 

 calyx, by which pofition the fide of each fpikclet is parallel 

 to the common receptacle, not, as in Lolium, contrary. 

 The greater number oi Jiorets in Trlticuri, which are only 

 iwo in Secale, is the only technical diftinftion. The outer 

 valve of the corolla of the prcfent genus is often terminated 

 by a long awn ; but this appendage varies, even in the fame 

 fpecies. 



Seftion I. Root annual. 



1. T. ajlivum. Summer Wheat. Linn. Sp. PI. 126. 

 Willd. n. I. Ait. n. I. Bauh. Pin. 21. (" T. ariflatum ; 

 Blackw. Herb. t. 40. f. 4, 5." — " T. locuftis quadrifloris, 

 biifi fubhirfutis, glumis exterioribus floralibus ariftatis ; Hall, 

 in Com. Nov. Goett. v. 5. t. I. f. I.") — Calyj: four- 



fiowcred, tumid, fmooth, imbricated, awned Suppofed 



to be a native of Siberia. It is fown in the fpring, and 

 produces a fpcedy but uncertain crop. We have never feen 

 in authentic fpecimen, nor are we at all certain that what 

 has generally been taken for this fpecies is any thing more 

 than a variety of the following. 



2. T. hybenimn. Winter, or Lammas, Wheat. Com- 

 mon Cultivated Wheat. Linn. Sp. PI. 126. Willd. n. 2. 

 Ait. n. 2. Ehrh. PI. Off. n. 151. Gartn. f. I. (T.vul- 

 gare ; Hoft Gram. Auftr. v. 3. 18. t 26. T. hybernum, 

 ariftis carens ; Tourn. Inft. 512.1.292. T. fpica mutica; 

 Ger. Em. 65. Siligo fpica mutica ; Lob. Ic. 25.) — Calyx 

 four-flowered, tumid, even, imbricated, abrupt, with a 

 fhort compreffed point Native country unknown. Culti- 

 vated in various parts of the world ; being fown in autumn, 

 it ftands the winter, and ripens feed in the following fummer, 

 fo that it may be reckoned biennial. The root conlifts of 

 downy fibres. Stems one or more, ereft, ftraight, from 

 three to five feet high, round, jointed, fmooth, leafy. Leaves 

 linear, pointed, flat, many-ribbed, rough, entire, rather 

 glaucous. Stipula jagged, bearded. Spihe foiitary, two or 

 three inches long, denie, two-ranked, fmooth, joints of the 

 common Jlalk bearded. Glumes fmooth. Calyx in the upper 

 part of the fpike with a more elongated point. Corolla of 

 she upper fpikclets frequently more or lefs awned. 



Under this moil important and familiar fpecies are com- 

 frehended a great number of varieties, the knov/lcdge and 

 Kiflory of which are more peculiarly the province of the 

 I 



agriciilturift, and will be treated of under the article WirEAX. 

 By the botar.ift they have not been fufficicntly inveftigated, 

 either as varieties or fpecies. Some of them appear entitled 

 to the latter denomination ; particularly the White Wheat, 

 T. album, Gaertn. f. 2, whofe lefs obtufe calyx, and the long 

 awns of its corolla, feen) to indicate a fpccilic difference. 

 This la(t charafter indeed occurs in many of them ; fee 

 Tourn. t. 293. Some of the reputed fpecies of Linnzus 

 are lefs decifively marked. The determination of thefe 

 points, with the refpeftive qualities of each fpecies or va- 

 riety, might very advantageoufly occupy the attention of 

 fome accurate ruftic botanift, continually on the fpot, by 

 whofe labours the queftion might be fet for ever at reft, and 

 probably a mofl important fcrvice rendered to fcientific agri- 

 culture. Not to embroil the fubjeft, we fhall not, with in- 

 fufficient materials, enter upon it. 



3. T. compofttum, Many-fpiked Wheat. Linn. Suppl. 

 115. Willd. n. 3. (T. fpica multiphci ; Bauh. Pin. 21. 

 Ger. Em. 66. Morif. fed. 8. t. i . f. 7. ) — Spike compound ; 

 fpikelets crowded. Corolla awned. — Native of Egypt ; 

 cultivated at Naples. The glumes are fmooth. .^wns three 

 or four inches long. This is probably a variety of the laft, 

 rather than, as Linnseus faySj of T. ,ejl'fvum. 



4. T. turgidum. Turgid, or Cone, Wheat. Linn. Sp. 

 PI. 126. Willd. n. 4. Ait. n. 3. Ehrh. PI. Seleft. n. 23. 

 Hoft Gram. Auftr. v. 3. 19. t. 28. (T. fpica villofa qua- 

 drata, longiore et breviore ; Morif. v. 3. 176. fcft. 8. t. I. 

 f. 13, 14.) — Calyx four-flowered, tun-.id, villous, imbri- 

 cated, obtufe, with a fhort point. — Native country un- 

 known. The corolla varies with or without long awns. 

 The filky, or villous, glumes alone diftinguifli this from va- 

 rious awned or awnlefs varieties of T- hybernum. 



5. T. polomcitm. Polifli Wheat. Linn. Sp. PI. 1 27. 

 Willd. n. 5. Ait.n. 4. Hoft Gram. Auftr. v. 3. 21. t. 31. 

 Pluk. Phyt. t. 231. f. 6. Morif. feft. 8. t. i. f. 8.— Calyx 

 three or four-flowered, pointed, naked, lanceolate like the 

 corolla, which is compreffed, with along awn. — The native 

 country of this likewife is unknown. It was cultivated 

 here in the latter part of the feveiiteenth century, for cu- 

 riofity at leaft, and is ftill feen in botanic gardens, though 

 not much regarded by the farmer, being eafily laid by rain. 

 That this is a diftinft fpecies there can be no doubt. The 

 ftrength of the whole plant, its large ears, and long, nar- 

 row, fcarcely tumid glumes, readily diftinguifh it at firft 

 fight. Linnaeus defines this Triticum as having a two- 

 flowered rn^/x, the charader of Secale; but Haller afTerts 

 the prefeiiceof one, if not two, xm^erkSi Jlorfls. 



S.T.Spella. Spelt Wheat. Linn. Sp. Fl. 127. Willd. 

 n. 6. Ait. n. 5. Ehrh. PI. Off. 43 1 . Hoft Gram. Auftr. 

 V. 3. 21. t. 30. (Zea dicoccos five major ; Bauh. Tlieatr. 

 412. t. 413. Z. fpica mutica dicoccos, vel major ; Moni. 

 fedl. 8. t. 6. f. I.)— Calyx imperfeftly four-flowered, ellip- 

 tical, obliquely pointed, ftiorter than the long-awned co- 

 rolla. — The origin of this fpecies is likewife unknown, nor 

 is its fpecific charatler fatisfaftory. The glumes are very 

 glaucous. It is chiefly cultivated in the fouth of Europe, 

 and is given to horfes in Spain, when barley is fcarce. The 

 bread it makes is of a dry quality, but no kind of flour is 

 better for paftry. 



7. T. monococcum. Single-grained Wheat, or St. Peter's 

 Corn. Linn. Sp. PI. 127. Willd. n. 7. Ait. n. 6. 

 Ehrh. PI. Seled. n. 33. Hoft Gram. Auftr. v. 3. 22. 

 t. 32. (Zea fpxa barbata, &c.; Morif. fi ft. 8. t. 6. f. 2. 

 Briza monococcos ; Ger. Em. 73.)— Calyx angular, 

 ftrongly toothed, about threc-flowered. Firft floret awned ; 

 intermediate one imperfca — Native country unknown. 

 This fpecies is cultivated in the mofl mountainous parts ot 

 ■^ Switzer- 



