• The genus Triticum embraces 22 species. Only two of them Triticum aestivum (soft wheat) Triticum durum (hard or durum wheat, macaroni wheat) are cultivated. Of all other wheat species only Triticum diccocum (Emmer wheat - Tetraploid 2n=28) is occasionally grown in wheat fields.
• The grain of durum wheat contains more protein up to 18 - 20 % but its gluten is not porous and not elastic, that is why bread made out of durum wheat is of low porosity. It is extremely good for manufacturing macroni and confectionaries
• Habit : Erect, annual which grows from 30 to 120 cm.
• Roots : Mostly adventitious and fibrous.
• Stem : Cylindrical with distinct nodes and internodes. Nodes are swollen and internodes are hollow. Usually there are six internodes and the sixth is the spike bearing one.
• Leaves : Simple, alternate in distichous alternate leaves arranged to right and left side of the stem on one plane arrangement, long, linear lamina with leaf sheath covering the internodes, ligule membranous, auricles prominent, claw shaped and clasp the stem. The two halves of the lamina are unequal and show a tendency to twist.
• Inflorescence : It is called as head, spikes or ear. Often 15 - 20 spike lets are borne on rachis in a zigzag shape. The spike lets have two glumes, which may end as an awn (lemma).
• Structure of spike let: The wheat inflorescence is a terminal distichous spike (ear), spike lets are sessile and borne singly at the nodes on alternate sides of the zigzag rachis. Each spike let consists of two to five florets attached alternately on opposite sides of a short central axis called rachilla and is covered by two sterile or empty glumes. Lemma broad with an acute tip or awn, palea thin. The lower lemmas are fertile while the top one or two are sterile. Lodicules two, stamens three with thin filaments and large anthers superior ovary, styles two, single ovule, bifid feathery stigma.
• Structure of the grain: The fused pericarp and testa surrounds both the endosperm and the embryo with the scutellum in direct contact with the surface of the endosperm. The axis consists of the primary root, which is enclosed by the coleorhiza, and the plumule with the protecting sheath of the coleoptile enclosing the primordia of two or three foliage leaves and the shoot apex. The part of the axis between the point of attachment of the scutellum and the plumule is called the mesocoty1 which is the internode between the scutellum representing the cotyledon and the coleoptile representing the next leaf.
• Fruit (grain) : Dry one seeded indehiscent known as caryopsis having more or less oval shape. The apex of the grain has tufts of hairs called bush. The other side has a longitudinal grove or a furrow often called the crease. The either sides of the furrow are called cheeks. The embryo is situated at the base on the dorsal side of the grains.

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