Bread Wheat, Common wheat

Triticum aestivum

Physical Characteristics

Triticum aestivum is a ANNUAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). 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. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Distribution

W. Asia.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Seed - cooked. The seed can be cooked as a whole grain but it is more usually ground into a powder and used as a flour for making bread, fermented foods, pasta, cakes, biscuits etc[1, 13, 34, 57, 183]. High in gluten, it is the most common flour used for making bread. The seed can also be sprouted and then added to salads or juiced to make a healthy drink[183]. A nutritional analysis is available[218].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

None known