162 A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 
northern states, sweet and pop. A starchy variety called 
flour corn is grown in South America and pod-corn is 
occasionally cultivated as 
a curiosity. A form with 
variegated leaves is culti- 
vated in gardens for orna- 
ment. (For further notes 
on classification see Mont- 
gomery, “The Corn Crops” 
15. . 1913.) 
203. Coix L.—Only 1 species 
is common, the Job’s-tears (C. 
lacryma-Job. L.) (Fig. 12), 
which is cultivated for orna- 
ment and escaped as a weed in 
the tropics. It is a handsome 
broad-leaved species, reaching a 
height of 4 to 6 feet. The 
inflorescences are several on 
each plant, each being at the 
end of a long peduncle on the end 
of which is an urn-shaped indurated 
bead-like bract, supporting the base 
of the simple spike, pistillate at base 
and staminate above. The pistillate 
portion consists of 1 fertile spikelet - 
with 1 or 2 sterile ones, inclosed in 
i the urn-shaped bract, the 2-cleft 
style and the tips of the sterile spike- 
lets protruding through the open- 
Fic. 12, Coix lacryma- ing at the top. The glumes of the 
Jobi. Inflorescence show- 
ing several pistillate beads, fertile spikelet are broad, hyaline 
the staminate spikes pro- 
truding, x2. with membranaceous tips, the lemmas 
