spike of the tassel. Except that the spikelets are pistil- 
late instead of staminate and that both spikelets are ses- 
sile or almost so, the elongated portion of these ears is 
scarcely distinguishable from the central spike. Further- 
more, for some reason (for which mere coincidence is not 
a satisfying explanation) a number of these ears have 
basal branches. Such ears correspond, not to the central 
spike alone, but to the central spike plus a few of the 
upper lateral branches of the tassel. 
Fusion. The evidence against the fusion hypothesis 
now amounts almost to complete proof at least for this 
type of ear. The rachis is a simple stem-like structure 
exhibiting not the slightest evidence of fusion in exter- 
nal morphology or internal anatomy. There is no more 
reason for suspecting fusion in this rachis than in the 
rachis of wheat, oats, barley or other cereals. 
Phyllotaxy. The phyllotaxy is verticillate or whorled 
rather than spiral. The ear is a simple spike with the 
spikelets arranged in whorls at the nodes (Plate IX). 
The number of pairs of spikelets at each node varies, but 
it is usually two or three. On one ear, beginning with the 
first node at the tip, the number of pairs of spikelets was 
1, 1, 2, 2.5, 8, 2.5, B respectively for the first seven nodes. 
Thereafter three pairs of spikelets occurred at every node 
up to the 67th, beyond which it was impossible to dis- 
tinguish the nodes. In asecond ear the number of pairs 
of spikelets was 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2.5 for the first seven 
nodes; two pairs of spikelets each on nodes eight to 
twenty-four; three or four pairs of spikelets on all addi- 
tional nodes. 
There is a tendency for the pairs of spikelets at one 
node to alternate in position on the circumference with 
those at adjacent nodes above and below. In a region of 
the ear where two pair of spikelets at each node is the 
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