Smithsonian Report, 1959—Mangelsdorf PLATE 2 
A tassel and ear of a true-breeding pod corn. The shortening of the internodes of the 
upper part of the stalk causes, or is accompanied by, a tassel which bears both male 
and female flowers. ‘The withered silks immediately below the tassel are from female 
flowers on the tassel branches which bloomed several weeks before this photograph was 
taken. Several seeds, resulting from pollination of these flowers, are visible. Such 
seeds are easily dispersed when mature by the breaking of the fragile tassel branches. 
The fresh silks to the left of the tassel are from a subtassel ear which is enclosed in husks 
when young but can emerge from them and disperse its seeds when mature. ‘The silks 
of this ear can be pollinated by pollen from the anthers in the tassel of the same plant, 
but the female flowers in the tassel can receive pollen only from another plant. ‘Thus, 
the reconstructed primitive corn plant has devices for both self- and cross-pollination- 
