CORN 



231 



Com (Zea Mays) (Fig. 151) is not typical of the grass 

 family; the stem is solid and the flower is imperfect and mo- 

 noecious. The staminate flowers are borne in two-flowered spike- 

 lets which are in turn borne on the long spikes constituting the 

 tassel; the pistillate flowers are borne on a large spike (cob), 

 each having a long, delicate, thread-like pistil (silk) and the 

 entire ear enclosetl in the large bracts (husks). The fniit 



Fig. 151. — Corn showing both pistillate and staminate flowers. 



consists of the grain inclosed in the ovary ; many of these fruits 

 are arranged in rows on the cob and constitute the ear. This 

 very important plant undoubtedly originated in America and 

 w^as first introduced into Europe by Columbus in 1520. It is 

 now extensively cultivated in temperate and tropical countries. 

 There are a great many varieties of corn, but they are usu- 

 ally classified in six groups as follows: (1) the pod corns, in 

 which each grain has a peculiar shuck covering, (2) the pop 



