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Common Name: Rivet Wheat

General Information

Triticum turgidum is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Middle East? Original habitat is obscure.

Habitat

Developed through cultivation, it is not known in a truly wild location.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position.
One of the more primitive forms of wheat, it was probably developed in cultivation from T. dicoccoides about 10,000 years ago. It is still occasionally cultivated for its edible seed, there are some named varieties[, , ]. It is not very high yielding[].
A tetraploid species[], it is not much grown outside Britain[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , ]. It is usually ground into a flour and used as a cereal for making macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli etc[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

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.

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a few days[].