Plant Portraits 15. Ancient Grains

  (Note images in this series were generated with the assistance of modern AI tools. No actual human individuals are portrayed here. See the first installment of the series for further explanation)

The edible seeds of the grass family (Poaceae) are known as cereal grains, and were the hallmarks of early agriculture in many parts of the world. The civilizations of the Middle East and Europe came to rely mainly on wheat, and later one oats and barley. Millets and sorghum were important in Africa, as was rice in the far eastern civilizations of China and its neighbors. In the New World, maize became a staple, starting in Mexico. Cereal grains were not significant in the Inca culture of the high Andes, however, where potatoes, and dicot-based grains like quinoa were the mainstay. Rain forests also were not suitable for grain cultivation, and indigenous cultures there relied on tuberous crops and nuts for their sustenance. 

 

Grasses are adapted for wind pollination, with dangling stamens, and long stigmas protruding 

from green bracts. Absent are the bright colors, fragrances, and nectar employed more 

generally among flowering plants for attracting animal pollinators. Grasses naturally 

occur in large populations in seasonally dry open spaces. This natural habit, plus the 

nutritional value of their seeds, made them ideal for early farming, not to mention 

grazing for horses, cows, and other domesticated animals.  Pictured are the flowerstalks of

rice, wheat, and maize. 

 

Farmers in ancient Mesopotamia cultivated wheat, beginning about 10,000 years ago, and 

its cultivation spread throughout temperate parts of the world. Modern varieties are hybrids 

between several ancient wild species.  

 

Maize, or corn in the U.S. (Zea mays) originated in Mexico, becoming a crop of immense 

importance with the appearance of hybrids that sported the large cobs we are familiar 

with today. 

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was first cultivated in northeastern Africa, in what is now Sudan and Ethiopia.

The term Millet actually encompasses a variety of cultivated grasses with small edible seeds. Cultivation of these grains developed independently in China, India, and Africa. 

Wild rice (Oriza sativa) occurs naturally in flooded fields. The first known cultivation of rice,

 about 9000 years ago, was by prehistoric people living along the Yangzte River of China.

The cultivation of rice spread to hilly terrain in highly organized rice paddies, 

as seen here in Vietnam.