﻿THE 
  PLANT 
  AS 
  A 
  WORKING 
  MACHINE 
  

  

  15 
  

  

  the 
  corolla 
  are 
  the 
  stamens; 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  

   is 
  the 
  pistil. 
  Within 
  the 
  enlarged 
  stamen 
  tip, 
  or 
  anther, 
  are 
  

   many 
  grains 
  of 
  pollen, 
  and 
  within 
  the 
  swollen 
  basal 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  pistil 
  (the 
  ovary) 
  are 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  ovules. 
  The 
  ovules 
  

   are 
  the 
  developing 
  seeds. 
  

  

  In 
  such 
  plants 
  as 
  Indian 
  corn 
  and 
  other 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  

   grass 
  family, 
  to 
  which 
  corn 
  belongs, 
  staminate 
  (stamen-bear- 
  

   ing) 
  flowers 
  are 
  often 
  found 
  on 
  one 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  and 
  

  

  B 
  

  

  e 
  h 
  

  

  FIG. 
  10. 
  A 
  young 
  ear 
  of 
  sweet 
  corn 
  

  

  A, 
  entire 
  ear, 
  showing 
  the 
  joints, 
  or 
  nodes 
  (n), 
  and 
  the 
  internodes 
  (i) 
  of 
  the 
  branch 
  

   which 
  bears 
  the 
  ear; 
  the 
  leaf-like 
  bracts 
  (b) 
  which 
  inclose 
  the 
  ear, 
  and 
  the 
  grain, 
  

   or 
  ovary 
  (o), 
  to 
  each 
  'of 
  which 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  silks 
  is 
  attached. 
  B, 
  an 
  enlarged 
  dia- 
  

   gram 
  of 
  one 
  grain, 
  showing 
  the 
  embryo 
  sac 
  (e), 
  the 
  inclosing 
  husk, 
  or 
  chaff 
  (h), 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  silk 
  (s) 
  

  

  pistillate 
  (pistil-bearing) 
  flowers 
  'on 
  another 
  part 
  (figs. 
  10 
  and 
  

   11). 
  In 
  corn 
  the 
  staminate 
  flowers 
  are 
  known 
  collectively 
  as 
  

   the 
  tassel, 
  and 
  the 
  pistillate 
  flowers 
  collectively 
  as 
  the 
  ear. 
  

   Each 
  staminate 
  flower 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  simple 
  leaf-like 
  bract 
  

   which 
  incloses 
  three 
  stamens. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  pollen 
  borne 
  

   by 
  a 
  single 
  tassel 
  is 
  very 
  great; 
  it 
  is 
  estimated 
  by 
  one 
  au- 
  

   thority 
  1 
  that 
  from 
  20,000,000 
  to 
  50,000,000 
  pollen 
  grains 
  

   have 
  been 
  borne 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  corn 
  plant. 
  A 
  single 
  pistillate 
  

   flower 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  short 
  and 
  obscure 
  bract 
  (often 
  called 
  

  

  1 
  DeVries, 
  Plant 
  Breeding. 
  The 
  Open 
  Court 
  Publishing 
  Company, 
  1907. 
  

  

  