MAIZE 



maize, flint maize, sugar maize, and popcorn. The most 

 important group is starch maize. 



General Description. Maize is a great 

 grass, whose height varies in different 



O O 



varieties from 60 cm to 6 meters. Ex- 

 cept in the Chinese "tree corn," which 

 is a variety of husk maize, the stem is 

 unbranched, or, rarely, is branched near 

 the base. The leaves are alternate, in 

 two rows. They are usually rough 

 on the upper surface, but smooth be- 

 low. In size they are 30 to 120 cm 

 long, and 5 to 12 cm broad. 



Two Kinds of Inflorescences. Exam- 

 ine carefully the picture of the stalk 

 of maize, and you will notice that it 

 has two different clusters of flowers. 

 Clusters of flowers such as these are 

 called inflorescences. 



One cluster or inflorescence grows 

 from the top of the stalk and forms 

 the tassel. Since all these flowers 

 have only stamens and no pistils, this cluster is called the 

 staminate inflorescence. 



The flowers having the pistils grow in clusters along 

 the side of the stalk in the axils of the leaves. These 

 clusters are called the pistillate inflorescences. A stalk 

 may have from one to three pistillate inflorescences. 



Each pistillate inflorescence is a stout stem, or axis, 



FlC. 70. Stalk of maize 

 showing the staminate 

 inflorescence at the top 

 and three pistillate inflo- 

 rescencesin the leaf axils 



