CHAPTER XIX. 



FLOWERS, THEIR STRUCTURE AND KINDS (Concluded). 

 II. FLOWERS OF MONOCOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS. 



The Indian Corn. 

 (Zea Mays.) 



275. The Indian corn (or "maize," 

 as it is sometimes called) is a good 

 illustration of a plant with two kinds 

 of flowers (fig. 52), 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 

 monoecious, i.e., of one "household." 



276. 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 

 branches, all forming what is com- 

 monly 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 



172 



Fig. 125. 



Part of staminate inflorescence of 

 Indian corn. 



