STRUCTURE OF MAIZE 



45 



3xils of the leaves, forming upon maturity what is known as the 

 ear. The fruit of the maize plant being borne in the axils of 

 the leaves rather than being terminal is a feature which distin- 

 guishes maize from all the other cereals. The diiference is more 

 apparent than real. Certain varieties of maize, especially pod 

 maize, sometimes bear carpels upon the tassel of the main culm, 

 and where branches oc- 

 cur bear both stamens 

 ?.nd carpels at their end. 

 It is assumed that wild 

 maize was a branched 

 plant containing perfect 

 i lowers (both carpels and 

 *tamens) on the terminal 



lassel and, also, at the 



I'nd of the branches. 



rJince the plant is wind 



Urtilized and the pollen 



rends to fall, the carpel- 

 late flowers in the ter- 



ininal tassel would be 



\ess perfectly poUenized 



than those on the 



branches below. The 



pollen on the branches 



v^ould tend to fall to the 



ground, thus being of 



little value. The plants '^'"* '"*''®' »«''ety Smut Nose. Compare with dent 



t.' i« -u J 1- variety upon opposite page. Note two good ears 



which had the greatest with rudimentary one below upon main culm, and 



development of carpels «'=° *f^« '^^^ blades upon the husks of the ear. The 



^ ^ other three culms are suckers, all having grown from 



on the branches and of one seed. Plant has been In tassel about thrM 



Stamens in the terminal '''''''■ (0"«-tvventy-fourth natural size.) 

 tassel would tend to sun^ve. As the end of a branch became 

 kiden with a collection of grains (ear) the short branch would 



