128 



THE WHEAT PLANT 



days when the air is warm and the sky clear : in wet or dull weather the 

 period is prolonged to 6 or 8 days. 



The first ear to flower belongs to the primary culm and is followed by 

 those on the lateral stems in order of origin, the whole plant finishing the 

 process in normal seasons in about 8 days. 



The following results were obtained by Obermayer : 



NUMBER OF FLOWERS OPENING EACH DAY ON FIVE ORDINARY 

 HUNGARIAN WHEAT PLANTS 



Flowering began before 5 A.M. and continued throughout the day, 

 a very small number opening after 7 P.M. The period of most intense 

 flowering was before n A.M., the fewest flowers opening between i and 

 3 P.M. 



He found a maximum of 23 flowers of an ear opening on one day, 

 and observed that the flowering of single ears of an ordinary Hungarian 

 wheat was completed in 4 or 5 days, the greatest number of flowers open- 

 ing on the third or fourth day. 



