What is "wheatgrass"

n. 1 Young grass of the common wheat plant, ''Triticum aestivum'', used freshly juiced or dried into powder for animal and human consumption. 2 A grass of the genus (taxlink Agropyron genus noshow=1), commonly known as (vern: crested-wheat grass).

n. a grass of the genus Agropyron [syn: wheat-grass]

Wheatgrass is a food prepared from the cotyledons of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum (subspecies of the family Poaceae). It is sold either as a juice or powder concentrate. Wheatgrass differs from wheat malt in that it is served freeze-dried or fresh, while wheat malt is convectively dried. Wheatgrass is allowed to grow longer than malt. Like most plants, it contains chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Claims about the health benefits of wheatgrass range from providing supplemental nutrition to having unique curative properties, though few, if any, have been scientifically proven. It is often available in juice bars, and some consumers grow and juice wheatgrass in their homes. It is available as fresh produce, tablets, frozen juice and powder. Wheatgrass is also available commercially as a spray, cream, gel, massage lotion, and a liquid herbal supplement. Because wheatgrass juice is extracted from wheatgrass sprouts, i.e., before the wheat seed begins to form, it is gluten-free.

Wheatgrass may refer to:

• Wheatgrass, grass, juice, tablet or powder of the young common wheat plant, grown for human consumption
• Agropyron, a genus known as crested-wheat grasses
• Elymus, a genus of wild rye, sometimes called wheatgrass
• Eremopyrum, a genus in the sub-family Pooideae, known as false wheatgrass
• Pascopyrum, a genus known as wheatgrass
  • Pascopyrum smithii, a species known as Western Wheatgrass
• Pseudelymus, a genus called foxtail wheatgrass
• Pseudoroegneria, a genus in the sub-family Pooideae, known as wheatgrass
• Thinopyrum, a genus in the sub-family Pooideae, known as wheatgrass
  • Thinopyrum intermedium, intermediate wheatgrass
    • Wild Triga, name of intermediate wheatgrass grain for human consumption
  • Thinopyrum junceiforme, Russian wheatgrass
  • Thinopyrum ponticum, tall wheatgrass