152 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



Lnd taper by curved lines to a narrow base, roimded ameate ; or may be broad 

 above, less broad below^, connected by straight lines, truncate-ameate \ or sides of 

 grain may be parallel in the upper portion and thence taper to a more or less broad 

 base, shoe-peg form ; or may be nearly or quite as broad at base as at summit, 

 rectangular I or the corner maybe rounded both above and helovi, rounded corners. 

 The summit of the grain may be rounded or _fiat ; may end in a long narrow tip, 

 rostrate ; or a short abrupt point, viucronate. On the other hand the summit of the 

 grain may be depressed, dented. The indentation may be round or cup-shaped, 

 dimple dented; or longer than broad, long dimple dented: or the sides maybe pinched 

 and parallel, crease dented; or the two sides may be pinched together closely and 

 project upward and forward, pinched dented ; or with the last condition there may 

 be a more or less ragged projection from the summit on the side next the embryo, 

 ligulate dented. 



As a variety characteristic, depth is much more constant than 

 width of grain, the former being a quite constant character. 



224. Shape of Grain Upon Maturity. — Sturtevant states that 

 each of the five types of maize furnishes three well-defined sub- 

 types, with parallel relationship throughout. Thus, subtype A, 

 the grain broader than deep ; subtype B, the grain as broad as 

 deep ; subtype C, the grain much deeper than broad. 



" All my collections concur towards the belief that climatic relations are more 

 evident in these subspecies (subtypes) than in the species (types) themselves. 

 With the possible exception of the dent corns and the starchy-sweet, for which as 

 yet but one locality is known, the climatic range and adaptability seem about the 

 same, but in the subspecies (subtypes) there is diversity, A bsing for climates of 

 short season, C for long seasons, while Bin general is intermediate; although a 

 climate suitable for C can grow A and B." 2 



In a study of i68 varieties, he classifies types and subtypes 

 as follows: 



2 Bui. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. XXI (1894), No. 8 pp. 320323. 



