most secondary branch in the three-quarters with the 
most spikelets. This includes multiplication and con- 
densation, and if one recalls that in the races described 
here, only Guarani has a large amount of condensation 
and little multiplication, this index is a satisfactory meas- 
ure of disturbance to the basic arrangement and still is 
simple to measure. 
Taste I. Median values of some ear and tassel characters of 
races of maize described in this paper. 
bp 
& 
ay 
Cs Q 
| A 5 B & 
9 FI a ox ~ © ‘me 9s 
o o & & Sr &8e 8 
» § 3B © Ge ge 8s 
oO oo «+ » > oO 
Number of rows of grain 9 12 14 8 14 20 8 
Mid-cob width in mm. 12 23 21 15 23 26 22 
Kernal width divided by 
kernel thickness 1.65 2.3 
_ 
O & 
- 
io 2) 
_ 
© 
a9) 
° 
Kernel length in mm. 9 11 11 14 12° «15 
Number of tassel branches 43 32 14 24 386 84 34 
Sterile zone length, mm. 5 4 3 6 8 14 12 
Spikelet-node index 13 teh 1 Tet We 28 3 
Percent subsessile spikelets 4 6 10 6 4 36 8 
The percent of sub-sessile spikelets is another measure 
of the amount of disturbance to the basic spikelet pair 
arrangement (Table I). It is taken from the same basal- 
most secondary branch as the spikelet-node index. Sub- 
sessile spikelets result from the Tripsacoid tendency to 
shorten pedicels or indicate irregularities in the order of 
the spikelets. In a series of spikelets with the pedicellate 
spikelet on the left, a sub-sessile pair of spikelets is often 
followed by several pairs with the pedicellate spikelet on 
the right. 
The Har 
The shape of the ear varies greatly from one race to 
[ 270 } 
