WEATHERWAX: THE EVOLUTION OF MAIZE 337 
branches were reduced to buds; and, as the leaf sheaths began 
to enclose the terminal inflorescence of the branch, this inflores- 
cence lost its lateral branches, only the central spike remaining. 
Up to this time the mature fruits were covered by the palets 
and glumes, but, as a response to the covering of husks, these 
bracts became shorter, leaving the mature fruits naked except 
for the husks of the ear. The leaves whose sheaths formed the 
husks, tended to lose their laminae and ligules (Fic. 7); these 
remain, however, in some varieties (Fic. 6). The two stigmas 
united, as in teosinte, to form the silk. At some time in the 
development of the ear, the lower flower of each female spikelet 
lost its function, but when and why this occurred is not clear at 
present. Probably all the primary branches of the stem, except 
those low enough to take root, went through this process, and 
most of them became still further reduced; at present, one to 
five or six usually remain as ears, and the rest have been reduced 
to buds in the axils of the leaves of the main stem. Those 
primary branches low enough to take root (Fic. 1) did so and 
have met with the varied fate characteristic of the suckers of 
the plant. Some are like the main stalk and others like ears, 
depending probably upon their relative independence; but the 
great majority share the characteristics of both (Fics. 11-13). 
Meaning of variations in maize——In the light of this the- 
oretical history of the species we are able to interpret many of the 
ordinary variations of maize. The podded ear is a reversion to 
the condition of the ear unprotected by husks, and very probably 
not a primitive form that has come down to us unchanged. 
Grains in the tassel mark a resumed function of the pistils in the 
male flowers, and they are usually characterized by the fasciated 
silk, showing that their flowers have not reverted in all char- 
acteristics. Gernert’s Branch Corn (15) is a reversion to the 
primitive paniculate inflorescence by a plant which is modern in 
other respects. Emerson’s dwarf variety (13) and one of Blaring- 
hem’s new varieties (5), both of which have perfect flowers in the 
ear, are, in so far as the perfect flowers are concerned, analogous 
to the varieties with perfect flowers in the tassel. Two-flowered 
female spikelets, such as those regularly found in Country 
Gentleman sweet corn (25, p. 135) and a few other varieties, are 
