Poaceae

S. cereale L., Sp. Pl. 84 (1753).
Annual or biennial. Stems solitary or tufted, erect, (35-)50-120(-300) cm, smooth, green, glabrous throughout or weakly or densely pilose below spike. Leaf sheaths glabrous or villous. Leaf blades (3-)4-12 mm broad, glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose, margins smooth or minutely scabridulous towards apex. Spike erect, (2-)4.5-l 2(-19) x 0.8-l(-2) cm. Rachis tough, fragile or semi-fragile, joints 3-4 mm. Spikelets 2 (rarely 3)-flowered. Glumes subequal, 8-20 mm, puberulent, keels scabrid-ciliate, awns short, 1-3 mm. Lemma 14-15(-l 8) mm, smooth or outer surface sparsely (sometimes minutely) scabridulous, awn 7-50 mm. Palea 10-12 mm. Anthers linear-oblong, c. 7 mm, yellow. Caryopsis o bo void-cylindrical, 8-10 mm; embryo 1/3 x caryopsis. 2n = 14.
1. Leaf sheaths villous or densely pilose var. ancestrale
1. Leaf sheaths glabrous
2.Mature spike (7-)10-12(-20) cm; rachis tough, not disarticulating at maturity; awn of lemma (15-)35-50mm var. cereale
2. Mature spike (2-)4.5-6(-8) cm; rachis fully fragile or semifragile (upper part disarticulating, lower remaining intact); awn of lemma 7-30(-40) mm var. vavilovii
var. cereale. Syn: Triticum cereale (L.) Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. 27 (1796). Ic: Bonnier, Fl. Comp. Fr., Suisse et Belg. 12: t. 687 f. 3220 (1934);Masefield et al, Oxford Book Food Pl. t. 5 f. 1 (1969). Fl. (4-)5-7(-8). Cultivated in solid stands, along roadsides, paths, field margins, as escape from cultivation on cal-careous south-facing slopes, at edge of Quercus petraea-Pinus nigra subsp. pallas-iana forest, sandy soil by coast, s.l:-1800 m. ¦
Described without indication of locality (Hb. Linn. 102/1!).
Widespread in Turkey; cultivated. A1(E) Kirklareli: Büyükkariştiran, A. Baytop (ISTE6517a)! A2(E) Istanbul: Kiathane(Kağithane), 24 v 1917, Azn. (as var. vulgare Koern.)! A2(A) Bursa: Ulu Da., above Bursa, M. & D. Zohary 3622! A3 Bolü: Bolu, 700 m, 17 viii 1971, Martin! A4 Ankara: Ankara to Kizilcahamam, H. Birand &M. Zohary 3353! A5 Kastamonu: Sufler (Sofular), nr Tosya, Sint. 1892:5316! B2 Kütahya: 43 km S.W. of Kütahya, 1050 m, M. & D. Zohary 5510! B3 Eskişehir: 29 km from Polatli to Sivrihisar, 800 m, Coode& Jones 2282a! B4 Ankara: c. 38 km S. of Ankara, M. Zohary &Plitm. 28526! B5 Niğde: Gücünkaya to Ihlara, 1050 m, Kit-Tan & Vural 1508! B6 Sivas: Kangal, 1440 m, M. & D. Zohary 2726! B7 Elaziğ;. Kharput (Harput) to Khan Kezzin (Kezin), 26 vii 1906, B. Post (lemmas minutely scabridulous)! B8 Erzurum: 20 km W. of Erzurum, 1800 m, M. Zohary 67217! B9 Bitlis: Nemrut Da., 1800 m, 11 viii 1972, Spencer 0302! Van: Erciş, by lake Van, T. Baytop (ISTE 20002)! C2 Denizli: Cankurtaran, 1100 m, A. Baytop (ISTE 25586 — depauperate gathering)! C3 Konya: Beyşehir, M. & D. Zohary 2761! C4 Konya: Konya to Kayseri, nr Karkin, 1000 m, 15 v 1902, Zederbauer!
Cultivated as a cereal (rye) throughout temperate and warm temperate regions of the world. S. cereale has been successfully crossed with Triticum aestivum L. to produce a hexaploid ryewheat specially selected for high yield and straw stiffness.