Triticum turgidum durum
| Triticum turgidum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Triticum turgidum durum (common name: durum 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: An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position. Established plants are drought resistant[1].
A fairly ancient wheat, it probably arose over 8,000 years ago as a result of cultivation. It is still sometimes cultivated for its edible seed, especially in the Mediterranean region, there are some named varieties[2][3]. It is also occasionally cultivated in Britain[4].
A tetraploid species[5].
Range: Original habitat is obscure.
Habitat: Developed through cultivation, it is not known in a truly wild location.
Edibility: Seed - cooked[2][6][7][8]. It is usually ground into a flour and used as a cereal. The grain is hard, translucent and especially rich in gluten, it is widely used for making pasta, spaghetti, noodles etc[9].
Usage: The straw has many uses, as a biomass for fuel etc, for thatching, as a mulch in the garden etc[4].
A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper[10]. 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[10].
The starch from the seed is used for laundering, sizing textiles etc[2][7]. 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
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Carruthers, S. Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading, 1986.
- ↑ Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.