Technical Bulletin No. 1083 March 1954 /' Classification of Wheat Varieties Grown in the United States in 1949 By B. B. BAYLES Principal Agronomist and J. ALLEN CLARK Senior Agronomist Field Crops Research Bran~h United States Department of Agriculture, Washingtc'll, D. C. For gale by the Superintendent of Documents, WaehinMlon 25, D. C. • Price 70 cent. Technical Bulletin No. 1083 March 1954 Classification of Wheat Varieties Grown in the United States in 1949 1 By B. B. BAYLES, principal agronomist, and J. ALLEN CLARK, senior agronomist, Field Crops Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service CONTENTS Pale Need for classification __________ _ 1 Classification of the genus Trit- Previous investigations _________ _ 2 zcum ____ ___________________• 3S Foreign classifications ________ _ 2 SpeU _______________________ _ 37 Domestic classifications _______ _ 6 Emmer_____________________ _ 37 Summary of previous classifica- Poulard wheaL ______________ _ 37 tions _____________________ _ 8 Polish wheat ________________ _ 40 Present investigations __________ _ 9, TimopheevL ________________ _ 40 Clasl3ification nurseries ________ _ 10 Einkorn ____________________ _ 40 Description, history, and dis- Common wheat ______________ _ 40 tribution __________________ _ 12 Clubwheat _________________ _ 146 Varietal nomenclature ________ _ 13 Durum wheat _______________ _ 151 The wheat plant ________________ , 14 Literature cited ________________ _ 158 Taxonomic characters ________ _ 14 Index to varieties and synonyms __ 169 Other characters _____________ _ 34 NEED FOR CLASSIFICATION careful consideration by growers. The choice is partly dependent, The varieties of wheat grown in however, upon the determination the United States show a great of identity. diversity of type: This diversity is The identification of varieties natural, as wheat is produced com­ :requires some knowledge of the mercially in most of the 48 States appearance of plant and kernel under a wide range of environmen­ and is assisted by information tal conditions. More than 200 regarding history or distribution. distinct varieties are grown. Many Wheat varieties are most generally of these are adapted only locally, designated by names, which are whereas others are well aclapte9-' to established through publication and It wide range of vaTying conditions. usage. Confusion in names is fre­ Adaptation of varieties is an im­ quent in the United States, where portant factor, as it affects the the number of varieties is very yield and profitableness of the large_ This confusion occurs in crop and the standardization of two principal ways: (1) The same varieties. The choice of varieties name is applied to distinctly clif­ for specific conditions and pur­ ferent varieties in different parts of poses is therefore usually given the country, and (2) the same 1 Received for publication April 22, 1953. This bulletin is a revision of and super­ sedes'Department Bulletin 1074, Classification 'of American Wheat Varieties, Technical Bulletin 459, Classification of \Vheat Varieties Grown in the United States, and Technical Bulletin 79S, Classification of Wheat Varieties Grown in the United States in 1939. 1 2 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 1083, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE variety is grown under several Theophrastus mentioned many different names in different parts of the differences between these of the country or even in the kinds of wheat. In the writings same area. Identification is diffi­ of 'larro, Pliny, and Columella, in cult in cases of similar or closely the first century B. C. and the first rela ted varieties and is confused by century A. D., the observations of the multiplicity of names. Inabil­ Theophrastus were repeated, re­ ity to identify varieties leads to arranged, and amplified. The fol­ duplication in varietal experiments lowing notes, based on the writings and the fraudulent or unknowing of Varro and others, as well as those exploitation of old varieties under of Columella, were presented in the new names. translation, in 1745, of Columella's There is need, therefore, for a book entitled "Of Husbandry" (62, practical and usable system of clas­ p.60): sification that will standardize the Triticum, common bare wheat, which varietal nomenclature and enable lIas little husk upon it, was, according growers to identify varieties with to Varro, a name given formerly to all which they ~re concerned.. The sorts of grain beaten or bruised out of purpose of this bulletin is to pro­ cars by trituration or threshing; but afterwards it was given to a peculiar vide such a classifica tion of the species of grain, of which there are many wheat varieties that are grown sorts, which take their name from the commercially in the United States places where they grow; as African, or may be so grown soon. The Pontic, Assyrian, Thracian, Egyptian, Sictlian, etc., which differ from one classification has been made by another in colour, bigness, and other using only such characters as can properties, too tedious to relate. One be distinguished by the naked eye, sort has its ears without beards, and is no instrument other than a meas­ either of winter or summer. Another sort is armed with long beards, and uring rule having been used in the grows up sometimes with one, sometimes investigations. The names of vari­ with more cars. Of these the grains arc eties have been standardized insofar of different sorts: some of them are white, as practicable in accordance with a some reddish, some round, others oblong, some large, others small. Somc sorts code of nomenclature. are early ripe, others late in ripening; some yield a great increase, some are PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS hungry, and yield little; some put forth a great ear, others a small. One sort stays long in the hose (folliculo); another FOREIGN CLASSIFICATIONS frees itself very soon out of it. Some have a small stalk or straw; others have The existence of many different a thick one, as the African. Some are varieties of wheat has been recog­ cIoathed with few coats, some with many, as the Thracian. Some grains put forth' nized for more than 2,300 years. only one stalk, some many stalks. Some Theophrastus (206, p. 167),2 a require more, some less time to bring pupil of Plato, in his Enquiry into them to maturitv. For which reason Plants, written about 300 B. C., some are called trimestrian, some bimestrian; and they say, that, in Euboea, states: there is a sort, which may be brought to There are also many kinds of wheat perfection in 40 days; but most of thcse which take their names simply from the sorts, which ripen in a short time, are places where they grow, as Libyan, light, unfruitful, and yield very little, Pontic, Thracian, Assyrian, Egyptian, tho' they are sweet and agreeable to the Sicilian. They show differences in COlor, taste and of easy digestion. size, form, and individual character, and also as regards their capacities in geneml In the early Roman literature and especially their .value as food. mentioned, reference is found to 2 Italic numbers in parentheses refer two groups of wheat; namely, to Literature Cited, p. 158. triticum and adoreum, or far. Co1- CLASSIFICATION OF WHEAT VARIETIES GROWN IN 1949 3 umella . referred to the jar as species have since been included in bearded ,vheat. The grain of trit­ another genus. In the second edi­ icum was separated from the chaff tion of the Species Plantarum, in threshing, whereas that of jar pu blished in 1762 (1)35, p. J 26) he was not, indicating that the former described six species that are still consisted of true wheats, but the included in the genus Triticum: T. latter was emmer or spclt. aestivum, T. hybernum, T. turgid'um, Columella recognized three types T. polonicum, T. 8pelta, and T. of Triticum, robus (red), ,siligo mo'nococcum, the species T. poloni­ (white), and trimestrian (spring), cum having been added. Linnaeus and in addition four types of divided the common wheat into bearded wheat (spell, or emmer), two species-To aestivum, awned viz. (62, pp. 61-62): spring, and T. hybernurn, awnless winter-apparently believing that Clusznian, of a shining, bright, white colour; a bearded wheat, which is called all spring wheats were awned and venuculum. One sort of it is of a firv all winter wheats awnless. Writers red colour, and another sort of it [s who followed him usn ally have not white; * * *. The tnmestrian seed, or recognized these distinctions. that of 3 months' growth, which is called Lamarck in 1778 (127) created halicastrum * * *. the species T. sativum to include It is evident from these quota­ both the species T. ae8tivum and T. tions that many of the leauing hybernum that Linnaeus had characters of the wheat plant were adopted. Each species and sub­ recognized in this early: period. species was described according to What attention was given to studies the presence or absence of awns, of wheat during the Dark Ages no the color and covering of the one can say. With the revival of glumes, the color, size, and density learning the botanists and medical of the kernels, the solidity of the men began the publication of the stem, and several other characters. folio and royal octavo herbals, Villars in 1787 (214-) divided the many of them illustrated with common wheats into two species, woodcuts. In these, wheat species T. vulgare and T. touzelle. The were included, the forms mostly latter consisted of awnless wheat being those described by Theo­ having white kernels. phrastus, Pliny, and Varro, but Schrank in 1789 (182, pp. 387- from time to time new ones were 389) arranged the cultivated wheats added. There is little advantage in in three species. For common trying to guess what particular wheat he established the name form of common wheat each so­ "Triticum cereale" and placed T. called species represented. :More aestivum and T.