CHAPTER XVII. 



FLOWERS, THEIR STRUCTURE AND KINDS (Concluded). 

 II. FLOWERS OF MONOCOTYLEDON OUS PLANTS. 



The Indian Corn. 

 (Zea Mays.) 



261. The Indian corn (or " maize," 

 as it is sometimes called) is a good 

 illustration of a plant with two kinds 

 of flowers (fig. 77), the staminate 

 flowers, those having stamens but 

 no pistils; and the pistillate flowers, 

 those having pistils but no stamens. 

 Such flowers are really of two forms 

 (dimorphic). Where they both occur 

 on a single plant, as in the case of 

 the Indian corn, the plant is said to 

 be dioecious, i.e., of two " households." 

 362. The staminate inflores- 

 cence of Indian corn. This is 

 composed of several spikes in the 

 form of a panicle terminating the 

 shoot, the spike which forms the axis 

 of the panicle bearing several bran- 

 ches, all forming what is commonly 

 known as the " tassel" of the corn. 

 The spikes are made up of numerous 

 spikelets which are on short and slender branches that arise from 

 each joint of the axis of the spike. At each joint there are usually 

 two spikelets (sometimes one or three), one nearly or quite sessile 

 and the other on a short stalk. 



158 



Fig. 1 1 6. 



Part of staminate inflorescence of 

 Indian corn. 



