40 THE TRUE GRASSES. 



ture. " Husk Maize" (see below) may approach the na- 

 tive form iu its glumes, the occasioual division into 

 more or less separated spikes, and an indication of ar- 

 ticulations in the intlorescence. 



The present condition, perhaps an anomaly obtained 

 by culture, is lacking in every means of distribution, 

 and is therefore scarcely typical. The cultivation of 

 Maize has not only extended into nearly all tropical and 

 sub-tropical countries, but has also penetrated into 

 temperate regions (in Europe and North America, as a 

 cereal, as far as 48°, and as a fodder plant still farther 

 north), and around Lake Titicaca at 3900 meters above 

 sea level. Culm 1-5 m. high, 1-6 cm. thick ; leaves broad 

 with undulating margins and gently drooping ends. 



About sixty varieties are known, differing from one an- 

 other in form, color, and size of fruit. The following are 

 the most important : 



a) Common Maize. Ear 8-24 cm. long ; kernel me- 

 dium size, compressed from the back, rounded at the 

 point, generally yellow ; rarely white, red, violet, black, 

 blue, or variegated in the same ear. 



b) Pearl Maize, very small, slender ; kernels scarcely 

 6 mm. long, round above, vitreous, very shiny like glassy 

 beads. 



c) Horse-tooth Maize. Kernels large, strongly com- 

 pressed from the back, sides flat, base dimple dented or 

 creased. A very tall variety found especially in North 

 America. 



d) Sugar Maize. Kernels much wrinkled, vitreous, 

 appearing like gum arabic when broken, containing, 

 instead of starch-grains, a soluble modification of starch, 

 together with a little finely granular starch. Cultivated 

 in North America. 



e) Cuzco Maize. Kernels 2.5 cm. in length and 1.8 

 cm. in breadth, much compressed, tapering toward the 

 base. 



f) Husk Maize, with herbaceous, ovate, pointed empty 

 glumes entirely covering the kernels. If the ovary of 

 yellow maize be fertilized with the pollen of a black 



