Triticum monococcum L. is a primary wild relative of cultivated einkorn wheat, T. monococcum L. ssp. monococcum, bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. ssp. aestivum, durum wheat, T. turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn., emmer wheat, T. turgidum ssp. dicoccon (Schrank) Thell., spelt, T. aestivum ssp. spelta (L.) Thell., and sanduri wheat, T. timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. ssp. timopheevii.

One subspecies is native to Europe: T. monococcum ssp. aegilopoides (Link) Thell. (Valdés and Scholz; with contributions from Raab-Straube and Parolly 2009).

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

Triticum monococcum is regionally assessed as Least Concern as it is widespread and common in parts of east and southeastern Europe and the population is thought to be stable. It is however hybridizing with cultivated wheat which is likely to be affecting the genetic diversity of wild populations. Research into the effects of gene flow from cultivated wheat is therefore recommended. Further collection and duplicated ex situ storage of germplasm from the European populations is also required.

Native to east and southeastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia and Crimea), western Asia and the Caucasus (Valdés and Scholz; with contributions from Raab-Straube and Parolly 2009, USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2010).

This is a widespread and common species. It was widely cultivated in the past, but today, it is only cultivated in Romania and Georgia.

This species occurs in field margins, grasslands and on roadsides; it favours rocky places and dry areas.

Hybridization with cultivated wheat is threatening the genetic diversity of the wild populations.

A primary wild relative of and potential gene donor to cultivated einkorn wheat, bread wheat, durum wheat, emmer wheat, spelt, and sanduri wheat.

The genus Triticum is listed in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

EURISCO reports 3,086 germplasm accessions of T. monococcum stored in European genebanks, 1,407 of which are reported to be of wild or weedy origin. However, only 48 of these wild accessions are reported to have originated in Europe (EURISCO Catalogue 2010); therefore, further collection and duplicated ex situ storage of germplasm from the European populations is needed.

Research into the effects of gene flow from cultivated wheat is needed.