122 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



Are the two kinds of 

 flowers on the same or 

 on different plants ? Do 

 they open again after 

 closing ? What time of 

 day do they open ? 



Zea maisj or Indian 

 corn, is shown in Fig. 137. 

 At the top of the stalk 

 the tassel is composed of 

 staminate flowers. Two 

 flowers are in each cluster 

 protected by two glumes 

 each. When ripe, the 

 long slender filaments 

 hang out and dangle their 

 anthers in the wind. 

 Where large fields of 

 Indian corn are growing 

 the air is heavy with 

 pollen which they shed. 

 Look as hard as you 

 may, you will find no 

 pistil in these flowers. 

 Pistils produce the seed, 

 and we do not look for 

 seed in the tassels. Down 

 below, if all goes well, 

 seeds will ripen in the 

 " ears." Notice the long 

 silks at the top of the ears. 

 Turn back the large bracts 

 (husks), and trace some 

 of the silks to the kernel 

 of grain. Each grain is 

 an ovary containing a 



Fig. 137. — Zea iiiais is monoecious, i.e. the SUlgle Seeu, anCl partly 



staminate and pistillate flowers are on the same ^n^V.c^:.^ K,, two hrnrtq 



plant. The staminate flowers form the tassel enClOSeO Oy TWO OraClb. 

 at the top, the pistillate form the " ears." 



