Emmer

Emmer
Spikes (ears) of cultivated emmer
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Genus:	Triticum
Species:	T. dicoccum
Binomial name
Triticum dicoccum Schrank ex Schübl.[2]
Synonyms[4]
List Spelta amylea (Ser.) Ser. Triticum amyleum Ser. Triticum armeniacum (Stolet.) Nevski Triticum arras Hochst. Triticum atratum Host Triticum cienfuegos Lag. Triticum dicoccum Schrank.[3] Triticum dicoccoides Triticum farrum Bayle-Bar. Triticum gaertnerianum Lag. Triticum immaturatum Flaksb. nom. inval. Triticum ispahanicum Heslot Triticum karamyschevii Nevski Triticum maturatum Flaksb. nom. inval. Triticum palaecocolchicum (Menabde) L.B. Cai Triticum palaeocolchicum Menabde Triticum subspontaneum (Tzvelev) Czerep. Triticum tricoccum Schübl. Triticum volgense (Flaksb.) Nevski

Emmer is a hybrid species of wheat, producing edible seeds that have been used as food since ancient times. The domesticated types are Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum and T. t. conv. durum. The wild plant is called T. t. subsp. dicoccoides. The seeds have an awned covering, the sharp spikes helping the seeds to become buried in the ground. The principal difference between the wild and the domestic forms is that the ripened seed head of the wild plant shatters and scatters the seed onto the ground, while in the domesticated emmer, the seed head remains intact, thus making it easier for people to harvest the grain.^[5]

Along with einkorn, emmer was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. It was widely cultivated in the ancient world, but is now a relict crop in mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. Emmer is one of the three grains called farro in Italy.^[3]