Author | L. | |
Distribution | More-or-less throughout the state. Gaps will probably be filled in over time. However, website editors cannot vouch that every record is adventive vs. planted.
Native of Eurasia; in N.A. widespread as a food crop and cover crop. | |
Abundance | Probably frequent in the Piedmont, but uncommon elsewhere. | |
Habitat | Roadsides, fields, weed in crop fields, along walkways, horse trails, waste ground, etc. Forms of it are also planted as a winter cover crop and to stabilize temporarily disturbed sites. | |
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting April-August, at least. | |
Identification | Wheat is one of our staple cereal and bread grasses. Stems grow 2-4 (or more) feet high, AND THE leaves are few and well-spaced. The inflorescence is a terminal, compact spike 2.5-7 inches long. Depending on the cultivar, the spikelets may have long erect awns or none. Each spikelet has 3-9 florets. It resembles Cultivated Rye (Secale cereale) but differs in having a single spikelet per node (vs. 2+). | |
Taxonomic Comments | | |
Other Common Name(s) | | |
State Rank | SE | |
Global Rank | GNR | |
State Status | | |
US Status | | |
USACE-agcp | | |
USACE-emp | | |