54 6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



PERFECT FLOWERS IN MAIZE 



By Professor E. G. MONTGOMERY 



UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA 



IN The Popular Science Monthly of January, 1906, the author 

 wrote a brief article entitled, " What is an Ear of Corn," presenting 

 some observations on the occurrence of hermaphrodite flowers in maize ; 

 this occurrence with other evidence indicating that maize had probably 

 originated in some manner from a perfect flowered plant, while in all 

 cultivated maize the flowers are strictly single, being either male or 



female. However, a comparative study of 

 male flowers (from the tassel) and female 

 flowers (from the ear) showed analogous parts 

 in both. The tassel flowers in the older 

 stages, however, are borne in pairs, while the 

 ear flowers are single, but a study of the 

 embryonic ears showed the male flowers to be 

 twinned at this stage, but as development took 

 place one of these flowers became entirely 

 abortive and only one fully developed. Per- 

 fect flowers were also found in somewhat de- 

 formed plants, which looked in many ways 

 like reversion in types. A study of the gross structure of the ear and 

 tassel showed a close structural analogy between the ear (including cob) 



Fig. 1. Hermaphrodite 

 Flower of Maize (Zea 

 mays) showing structural 

 features (reproduced from 

 former article). 



Fig. 2. Ears of Maize bearing perfect Flowers. These ears are quite young, 

 i. e., just in blossom. The mature ears averaged about six inches in length. Prac- 

 tically all ears of this strain came true to type. 



