Triticum aestivum sphaerococcum - (Percival)Mackey.
(Percival)Mackey.
Shot Wheat
gbif· cc0
Utah State University
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Conveyor Belt
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Description
Triticum aestivum sphaerococcum is a ANNUAL. It is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked. It is usually ground into a flour and used as a cereal for making bread, biscuits etc.
Distribution
W. Asia.
Where It Grows
Coming Soon
Cultivation
Succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position. One of the more modern species of wheat, probably developed in cultivation around 8,000 years ago following a cross between T. dicoccum and Aegilops squarrosa. This cross contributed an extra protein gene to the seed, making a much stronger flour for baking as bread. It is still cultivated for its edible seed in the Punjab and Central provinces of India. A hexaploid species.
Propagation
Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a few days.
Other Uses
Biomass Mulch Paper Starch Thatching. The straw has many uses, as a biomass for fuel etc, for thatching, as a mulch in the garden etc. A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper. The stems are harvested in late summer after the seed has been harvested, they are cut into usable pieces and soaked in clear water for 24 hours. They are then cooked for 2 hours in lye or soda ash and then beaten in a ball mill for 1½ hours in a ball mill. The fibres make a green-tan paper. The starch from the seed is used for laundering, sizing textiles etc. It can also be converted to alcohol for use as a fuel.
