durum.flour.jpg	Triticum.durum.1.jpg	Triticum.durum.2.jpg
Triticum.durum.3.jpg	Triticum.durum.4.jpg	Triticum.durum.5.jpg
Triticum.durum.6.jpg	Triticum.durum.7.jpg	Triticum.durum.8.jpg

Triticum is the general word for wheat, especially when contrasted with other cereals (e.g. Pliny NH 18.48), but it can also be contrasted with far and siligo (Pliny 18.61-63).

Italy knew and still knows three types of wheat:

far: Triticum turgidum L. cultivar dicoccum L.: emmer wheat.

siligo: Triticum aestivum L.: soft wheat, bread wheat, summer wheat, just plain ol' wheat. Not a word used by Vergil.

triticum (in the strict sense): Triticum turgidum L. cultivar durum (Desf.) Husn.: hard wheat, winter wheat, durum wheat, pasta flour.

For all about wheat, see: http://www.ksu.edu/wgrc/Taxonomy/taxbow.html

[ Georgics I | Georgics II | Georgics III | Georgics IV ]

[ Latin | Scientific | English | Deutsch | Français | Italiano ]