What is the difference between rye and wheat in appearance?

All people from the school bench know the names of such crops as wheat and rye. True, these plants almost do not see differences, although they are, and very significant. Read about them in the article.

Wheat

Talking about how rye differs from wheat, it is necessary first of all to give information about these cultures. So, wheat is one of the most popular cereals. It can be grown either one or two years. As a rule, in height it reaches from thirty centimeters to one and a half meters.

This plant belongs to the "three breads of mankind". Since wheat can be different (hard and soft, spring and winter), it is widely used on the farm. This plant is used in the food and drug industry. Bakery, pasta, cereals and animal feed are all made from wheat. In addition, separate parts of the spikelet are used to create alcohol, immunomodulators and means for rejuvenation.

This plant is first mentioned in the Gospel and some divine parables. Perhaps this has affected such a respectful attitude to this culture. It is believed that it began to transform the agricultural plant about 8-6 thousand years before our era. At present, there is a huge variety of wheat varieties. These include both world-grown forms, and local ones. Not all of them have been officially studied and listed in the list of varieties of this agricultural plant.

Rye

In the process of answering the question: "What is the difference between rye and wheat?" It is necessary to describe the second plant. Rye is the second most popular agricultural crop, which is also one of the "three loaves of mankind". It is widely used in the food industry. Bread with bran, which is made using rye flour, is a popular dietary product, the value of which is recognized throughout the world. In addition, animals are happy to eat the sprouts of this culture.

Rye is grown for one year or several years in a row. This plant reaches sixty centimeters in height. The maximum height of the culture is two meters. It can be both spring and winter.

This plant ceased to be wild about two thousand years ago. Since that time, there are numerous varieties of rye, which are grown almost everywhere. The fact is that this crop is unpretentious to environmental conditions, and especially to cold weather. Therefore, it is grown in large quantities on the territory of Russia and Ukraine.

Similarities

Of course, rye and wheat have a number of differences, but they also have similarities that manifest themselves in the external structure, cultivation and even the history of these plants. For example:

• There are both winter and spring forms of these crops. This allows people engaged in agriculture to grow crops at the most appropriate time for this.
• Powerful root system. Uterine roots descend to the ground for two meters.

• What is the difference between rye and wheat? The structure of the ear. Despite the fact that the ears of these plants differ, they belong to the same species. They are called complex.
• The leaves of rye and wheat are linear and narrow. Venation on them is parallel. This means that several large-sized veins are located along the leaf plate.
• The fruit of both plants is a simple non-opening granule, in which there is one seed.

Differences in the ear

Many people are interested in what distinguishes the ear of wheat from the ear of rye. This issue takes place, because in this part of these plants you can find the most differences.

Firstly, the elongated ear of rye is kept on an axis fifteen centimeters long. This solid part of the plant keeps it in an upright position. Unlike wheat, the rump in the cross section is tetrahedral. On its surface there are up to three stamens, and on wheaten - up to five. The ears of rye ears are directed vertically upward, while the awns of wheat grow in different directions.

What is the difference between rye and wheat in appearance? Flowers. In wheat they consist of two rows, on which there are three scales. In each of them there are several stamens, corolla, calyx and pestle. Wheat is a self-pollinating and wind-pollinated plant. It is able to grow in poor conditions. In this case, she will self-pollinate under closed scales. At the same time, under good environmental conditions, it will open flakes, due to which it will be pollinated by wind gusts. Rye is pollinated only in the second way.

What is the difference between wheat spike and rye ears? The color. Still ripe ears of rye have a blue tint, and wheat - green.

Differences in fruits

As stated earlier, the fruits of these important agricultural plants are grains. But they, too, can be different. Answering the question: "What is the difference between rye and wheat?", One can not help saying about their form. The rye is long and thin, and the wheat is round. By its form it is easy to determine which plant is at stake, because it is impossible to confuse their fruits.

On the grain of rye is a groove, which penetrates deep inside it. It is surrounded by several shells. It is known that their number is one and a half or two times higher than the number of shells of wheat grain.

How to distinguish wheat from rye?

What is the difference between rye and wheat? In the photo one can see the ear of one of the most popular agricultural plants. In order to make sure that a person deals with rye or wheat, he can conduct a number of experiments.

• Germination of grains. It is necessary to take one grain of wheat and rye one by one and let them germinate. Then you need to dig them and compare the roots. The wheat has three, and the rye has four.
• Follow the color of the leaves. One of the differences between these cultivated plants is the color of their leaves. In rye it is red, sometimes even bluish, and in wheat - bright green.

• The growth of these cultures is different. Rye is the tallest grain plant. True, this criterion is not the most accurate - wheat in good conditions can equalize in height with rye.
• Wheat awns are much shorter than rye, this is very well seen in comparison.
• Rye grain is thin and long, and wheat is thick, short and almost round in cross section.