WEATHERWAX: MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERS OF ZEA Mays 131 
part of the development of the rest of the flower, the pistil 
shows evidences of disorganization, especially by its manner of 
taking stains. | 
The vascular system of the base of the spikelet has not been 
thoroughly worked out, but strands have been traced to most of 
the organs, including a large one to each lodicule and a rudimentary 
one to the abortive pistil. 
PISTILLATE FLOWER 
The available descriptions of the female spikelet and flower 
are much better than those of the homologous parts of the male 
inflorescence. This is largely due to the fact that several investi- 
gators have, in dealing with embryological features, found it 
necessary to discuss the developing caryopsis in relation to the 
other parts of the spikelet. However, since much of the work on 
the structure of the spikelet and flower has been merely incidental 
to other lines of investigation, many inaccuracies have found 
their way into the recent works. 
The pistillate spikelet is two-flowered, and its parts are, in 
Number and arrangement, similar to those of the staminate spike- 
let, allowing, of course, for the functioning of a pistil instead of 
stamens and the abortion of certain other parts. 
The empty glumes are rather thick and fleshy and do not 
completely enclose the other parts, except in pod corn, at any 
time during the development of the spikelet. The hairs that 
are present on the glumes of the male spikelet are here represented 
by similar ones around the edges and by pits scattered over the 
surface of the glumes. The rachilla is jointed just below the 
base of the glumes (Fic. 3). The lemma and palea are shorter 
and thinner than the glumes. These floral bracts cease to develop, 
in most varieties, about the time of fertilization and remain around 
the base of the fruit, forming the red or white more or less chaffy 
Covering of the cob. If fertilization is prevented, they may grow 
to three or four times their normal size. In the pod corns the 
floral bracts, especially the glumes, become herbaceous and con- 
tinue to grow after fertilization and are ultimately found com- 
pletely enclosing the mature fruit. 
In most varieties of maize the two flowers of the female 
