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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Fig. 7. Very Young Pistillate Flower from Tassel of Pod Corn. Note difference be- 

 tween size of pistils and size and form of glumes and palets. The lower flower would probably 

 be abortive. 



Fig. 8. Hermaphrodite Flower The parts are all numbered to correspond with Fig. 5. 



Fig. 9. Hermaphrodite Flower of Maize {Zea mays). The anterior stamen is fairly 

 well-developed, while the other two are mere remnants. 



Fig. 10. Hermaphrodite Flower of Maize {Zea mays). 



outer glumes are found to be 

 greatly thickened ,and somewhat 

 corneous. The palet almost en- 

 closes the young ovary, the glume 

 covering only a narrow space on the 

 back (Fig. 8), and the tip of the 

 ovary often protruding. The palet 

 and glume of the lower flower 

 (which is now entirely abortive) 

 are more or less hyaline and closely 

 pressed against the dorsal side of 

 the grain. However, in all varieties 

 of corn both flowers in a spikelet 

 will sometimes be found well de- 

 veloped. Twinned grains are espe- 

 cially common in the tassels of pod 

 corn (Zea tunicata) (Figs. 6 and 

 7). Sturtevant 3 mentions an ear 

 of podded flint corn from Ohio in 

 which the kernels were twinned in 

 the pod. 



Hermaphrodite flowers are 

 sometimes found ; in fact, in tassels 

 where! pistillate flowers are pro- 

 duced, they are quite common 

 (Figs. 8, 9, 10). The stamens, 

 however, are generally very much 

 reduced or are rudimentary. The 

 dorsal stamen seems to persist 



longest and will often be well de- 

 veloped, while the other two are 



Fig. 11. The Kind of a Tassel in which 

 Hermaphrodite Flowers are very com- 

 monly Found. 



3 Bullet in of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1894, p. 336. 



