Triticum aestivum macha
| Triticum aestivum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Triticum aestivum macha (common name: makha wheat)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a few days[K].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position.
One of the more modern species of wheat, probably developed around 8,000 years ago as a result of a cross between T. dicoccum and Aegilops squarrosa. It is still sometimes cultivated for its edible seed in Georgia and other areas in W. Asia though it is of little economic value[1][2][3].
Closely related to T. spelta[1].
A hexaploid species[4].
Range: Europe - S. Russia.
Habitat: Developed through cultivation, it is not known in a truly wild location.
Edibility: Seed - cooked[1][5][2]. It is usually ground into a flour and used as a cereal for making bread, biscuits etc[3].
Usage: The straw has many uses, as a biomass for fuel etc, for thatching, as a mulch in the garden etc[6].
A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper[7]. 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[7].
The starch from the seed is used for laundering, sizing textiles etc[1][5]. It can also be converted to alcohol for use as a fuel.
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Carruthers, S. Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading, 1986.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.