Triticum parvicoccum sp. Nov., the oldest naked wheat

A new wheat species, Triticum parvicoccum, hitherto found only in archaeological excavations, is described. Rachis fragments and grains have been found in sites in the Near East and the Balkans. Triticum parvicoccum differs from tetraploid wheats by its dense ear and short (<5 mm) grain, and from hexaploid species by its Mediterranean and Near Eastern distribution and its early origins. An attempt to reconstruct the morphology of the plants has been made, and the phylogenetic relationships with the main wheat species are discussed.