103 



tivated, present these difficulties, because few others combine such a 

 range of variability with such ease of hybridization. 



I am fully aware that some of these latter remarks are not in accord 

 with the commonly accepted theory of the hybrid origin of maize, but I 

 do not believe that theory to be the correct explanation of the origin of 

 the plant. My full discussion of that point will be presented elsewhere. 



A specific name is to be understood as only an abbreviated descrip- 

 tion, and the only thing about maize that is constant enough to have a 

 fixed description is the whole genus. It is true that in some variations it 

 borders closely upon some other genera and even encroaches upon the 

 territory allotted to another tribe of grasses, but its limits are sufficiently 

 definite to obviate any doubt as to whether or not a plant under observa- 

 tion is corn. 



The best taxonomic treatment, then, seems to be to consider Zea a 

 monotypic genus and discard all other names than Zea Mays L. Refer- 

 ence to the numerous variations can be made to the characteristic di- 

 rectly and not to any arbitrary variety possessing that characteristic 

 in varying combination with other properties. 



