A History of Agriculture in India v1.c14.s2.2

v1.c14.s2.2

Wheat. Vavilov recognized 14 species of *Triticum*, which fall into three groups with 7, 14 and 21 chromosomes respectively. Among these, the most ancient are the 7-chromosome wheats comprising *T. aegilopoides*, the wild einkorn, and *T. monococcum*, the einkorn. Carbonized seeds of both these species have been found at Jarmo. Both have fragile stems, loose spikelets, and a single seed in each spikelet. Both easily hybridize. The wild einkorn is found in Armenia and Georgia in the Soviet Union, and in western Iran. There are no records of this wheat in India, Africa or China. Einkorn is still cultivated in the hilly regions of Europe and the Middle East. Its importance lies in the fact that it is the ancestor of all other cultivated wheats, excepting emmer (Fig. 52).