344 



The Journal of Heredity 



plant was found with more than a sug- 

 gestion of maize characters. 



Both the maize and teosinte obvi- 

 ously were flowering at the same time 

 and some exphination seems necessary 

 as to why they do not completely inter- 

 grade. Since the e\idence indicates a 

 dilution of the teosinte rather than of 

 the maize, the low stature of the teo- 

 sinte may be a factor. Most of the 

 tassels of the teosinte were borne at or 

 below the level of the ears of maize. 



The barley fields in which the teo- 

 sinte was growing had been planted 

 formerh' to maize and it was apparent 

 that the teosinte had volunteered. It 

 was here that the most corn-like teo- 

 sinte plants were found. No volunteer 

 maize plants were found in the barley, 

 indicating that the teosinte is much 

 more tolerant of comjietition than 

 maize. In fact, no maize i)lant could 

 be expected to grow beyond the seed- 

 ling stage in the presence of so much 

 other \egetation. 



Another factor in the failure of maize 

 to volunteer may be the promptness 

 with which it germinates. Maize 

 seeds would, for the most part, germi- 

 nate in the fall and be killed in the 

 winter. On the other hand there is 

 evidence that the seeds of teosinte 

 require a period of rest before they will 

 germinate. This might account also 

 for the suppression of intermediates 

 and maize-like teosinte plants, the 

 seeds of which would be likely to ger- 

 minate in the fall and not surxive the 

 winter. 



The i)resfiice (A tuhcrculale hairs 

 and red sheaths in this teosinte is ojien 

 to a nimiber of interfjretations: 



(1) Most of the hybridization may 

 be of ancient date and since inter- 

 mediates would be preserved neither 

 by nature nor man the two original 

 types have been segregated except that 

 characters of no sur\'i\al \alue, such 

 as tuberculate hairs and color of the 

 sheath, ha\-e persisted in the teosinte; 

 or 



(2) The .same causes which ha\c 

 favored the development of the coU^r 



and hairs in the maize may have done 

 the same for the teosinte; or 



(.3) If, as a result of the greater 

 height of the maize plants, the crossing 

 is teosinte female by maize male and 

 not vice versa, hyl)ridization may take 

 place frequently; but since the hybrid 

 seed would be borne on the teosinte 

 plants it w^ould not be harvested. The 

 first generation hybrids, left to take 

 care of themselves, might be so maize- 

 like as not to sur\'ive in sufficient num- 

 bers to be ol)ser\ed. 



Although teosinte was abundant in 

 this particular locality, its distribution 

 appears to be very restricted. 



TRIPSACUM CONFUSED WITH TEOSIXTI^ 



Our experience at Coscomatepec, 

 the next locality we visited, demon- 

 strated that great caution must be 

 exercised in accepting the localities 

 that ha\'e been assigned as stations for 

 teosinte. Dr. C. A. Purpus had re- 

 ported teosinte as growing at Coscoma- 

 tepec, a small town north of Cordova in 

 the State of Vera Cruz, stating that it 

 was there planted as a fodder plant 

 and propagated by cuttings.' This 

 novel method of propagation made this 

 station of special interest. 



There were persons in Coscomatepec 

 who recognized the name teosinte and 

 confirmed the statement that it was for- 

 merly grown as a forage. With the 

 disturbances accompanying the revolu- 

 tion its growth was said to have been 

 practically discontinued. A planting 

 of this forage plant was e\entualh- 

 located in a walled-in garden in the 

 town and pro\e(l to be a species ot 

 Tripsacum, pr()l)al)ly T. laxiim, a form 

 common in Guatemala. In fact, the 

 more generally recognized name tor 

 the plant at Coscomatepec is "Zacate 

 Gnatemalteco." According to the most 

 accurate information we could obtain, 

 Trip.sacum was introduced originalK- 

 into this region from (iuatemala. 



Thus it appears that the name teo- 

 sinte is ai)plied sometimes to Tripsa- 

 cum. iiefore flowering, there is a 

 superficial resemblance between Euch- 



' Letter to U. C. Kairchild. 



