l66 BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



Recently East and Hayes have expressed an opinion very 

 similar to that of Montgomery. Quoting from them, "The 

 ear of maize, then, is a meristic variation produced from the 

 central spike of the tassel of the lateral branches of teosinte 

 or of a teosinte-like plant, and not a fusion of the lateral 

 spikelets." Montgomery suggests that teosinte and corn 

 had a common ancestor, which was a "large, much-branched 

 grass, each branch being terminated by a tassel-Hke structure, 



J^ glume 



lemma of 



ferhle ' 



jlower 



^Znd ^lume 

 Fig. 62. — Pistillate spikelet of corn, much enlarged. {After Necs.) 



bearing hermaphrodite flowers." He says further: "As 

 evolution progressed, the central tassel came to produce only 

 staminate flowers, these being higher and in a better position 

 to fertilize the flowers on the lower branches. At the same 

 time, the lateral branches came to produce only pistillate 

 flowers, their position not being favorable as pollen producers, 

 while, on the contrary, they were favorably placed to receive 

 pollen. This differentiation in the flowers was accompanied 

 by a shortening of the internodes of the lateral branches until 

 they were entire!}- enclosed in the leaf sheaths" (the husks). 

 Pistillate Spikelet. — Each normal pistillate spikelet has two 



