162 



A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 



northern states, sweet and pop. A starchy variety called 

 flour com is grown in South America and pod-corn is 



occasionally cultivated as 

 a curiosity. A form with 

 variegated leaves is culti- 

 vated in gardens for orna- 

 ment. (For further notes 

 on classification see Mont- 

 gomery, "The Com Crops" 

 15. 1913.) 



203. Coix L.— Only 1 species 

 is common, the Job's-tears (C. 

 lacryma-Jobi L.) (Fig. 12), 

 which is cultivated for orna- 

 ment and escaped as a weed in 

 the tropics. It is a handsome 

 broad-leaved species, reaching a 

 height of 4 to 6 feet. The 

 inflorescences are several on 

 each plant, each being at the 

 end of a long peduncle on the end 

 of which is an urn-shaped indurated 

 bead-like bract, supporting the base 

 of the simple spike, pistillate at base 

 and staminate above. The pistillate 

 portion consists of 1 fertile spikelet 

 with 1 or 2 sterile ones, inclosed in 

 the um-shaped bract, the 2-cleft 

 style and the tips of the sterile spike- 

 lets protruding through the open- 

 T F^°' P'„ ^°^^ lacryma- ing at the top. The glumes of the 



Jobi. Inflorescence show- „ .. mi i 



ing several pistillate beads, fertile spikclct are broad, hyaline 



the staminate spikes pro- 

 truding, xH. With membranaceous tips, the lemmas 



i 



