Chap. IX MAIZE. 339 



concealed b/ husks as much as eleven lines in length, has been 

 stated, but oii insufficient evidence, to grow wild in Brazil. It is 

 almost certain that tlie aboriginal form would have had its grains 

 thus protected ; ^^ but the seeds of the Brazilian variety produce, 

 as I hear from Professor Asa Gray, and as is stated in two ijublished 

 accounts, either common or husked maize ; and it is not credible 

 that a wild species, when first cultivated, should vary so quickly 

 and in so great a degree. 



Maize has varied in an extraordinary and conspicuous manner. 

 Metzger,^^ who paid pai'ticular attention to the cultivation of this 

 plant, makes twelve races (unter-art) with numerous sub- varieties : 

 of the latter some are tolerably constant, others quite inconstant. 

 The different races vary in height from 15-18 feet to only 16-18 

 inches, as in a dwarf variety described by Bonafous. The whole 

 ear is variable in shape, being long and narrow, or short and thick, 

 or branched. The ear in one variety is more than four times as 

 long as in a dwarf kind. The seeds are arranged in the ear in from 

 six to even twenty rows, or are placed irregularly. The seeds 

 are coloured — white, pale-yellow, orange, red, violet, or elegantly 

 streaked with black ; ^'' and in the same ear there are sometimes 

 seeds of two colour's. In a small collection I found that a single 

 grain of one variety nearly equalled in weight seven grains of 

 another variety. The shape of the seed varies greatly, being very 

 flat, or nearly globular, or oval ; broader than long, or longer than 

 broad ; without any point, or produced into a sharp tooth, and 

 this tooth is sometimes recurved. One variety (the rugosa of 

 Bonafous, and which is extensively cultivated in the United States 

 as sweet corn) has its seeds curiously wrinkled, giving to the whole 

 ear a singular ap])earance. Another variety (the cymosa of Bon.) 

 carries its ears so crowded together that it is called mais a howjuet. 

 The seeds of some varieties contain much glucose instead of starch, 

 Male flowers sometimes appear amongst the female flowers, and 

 Mr. J. Scott has lately observed the rarer case of female flowers on 

 a true male panicle, and likewise hermaphrodite flowers.^'' Azara 

 describes '* a variety in Paraguay the gi'ains of which are very 

 tender, and he states that several varieties are fitted for being cooked 

 in various ways. The varieties also differ greatly in precocity, and 

 have different powers of resisting dryness and the action of violent 

 wind.*" Some of the foregoing differences would certainly be con- 

 sidered of specific value with plants in a state of nature. 



Le Comte Re states that the grains of all the varieties which he 



" Moquin-Tandon, 'Elements de p. 80; Al. De Candolle, ibid., p. O.M. 



Teratologie,' 1841, p. 126. " , Transact. Bot. Soc. of Edia- 



" ' Die Getreidearton,' 1841, s. 208. burgh,' vol. viii. p. 60. 



I have modified a few of Metzger's ^« ' Voyages dans TAm^rique Mi^ri- 



statements in accordance with those dionale,' torn. i. p. 147. 



n.ade hy Bonafous in hi> great work, ^^ Bonafous' ' Hist. Kat. du Mats, 



'hist. Nat. du Mais,' 18.36. p. 31. 



" Godron 'De I'Espece.' torn. ii. 



