16 



PANICACE.E. 



rarely subherbaceons, short, very broad, obtuse or emarginate, 2- 

 lobed, the 'Z outer empty sometimes thicker, tlie tliird hyaline, 

 often protecting tlie short palea, the terminal or floral glume 

 hyaline, often bifid; the palea equally broad, but not divided. 

 Staminodia 0. Style very long, threadlike, briefly parted at tlie 

 apex, rarely separated to the base, stigmatic hairs very sliort. 

 (J rain, on a short stipe, subglobose or obcompressed, hard, slightly 

 protected by the delicate glumes and palea? or enclosed or covered 

 by a variety of acute or subherbaceons glumes. 



The terminal staminate panicle with a long showy peduncle, 

 in some varieties in cultivation bearing some pistillate flowers 

 mixed with tlie staminate. Staminate flowers at the ajiex of the 

 pistillate spike are not uncommon. The pistillate spikes usually 

 solitary or branching in the axils of the leaves, the styles when mature 

 much exserted, pendulous; at maturity the pistillate sjiike is long, 

 hard, and entirely covered with the palealike slieaths. It is excep- 

 tional in the whole order, by the manner in which its pistillate 

 spikelets are densely packed in several vertical rows around a central 

 spongy or corky axis. How much of this arrangement is due to 

 changes brought about by cultivation and selection can only be a 

 matter of conjecture. 



Species "^, possibly 3, all American. 



1. Z. Mays L. Sp. PI. 971 (ir*))}). Annual. Most likely a 

 native of Iropic'ul America; extensively cultivated in the warmer 



temperate zones, exceedingly variable, 

 ().5-(! m. high, not known in a wild 

 state. A very valuable well-known 

 cereal and fodder-plant. See \'ol. I. 

 2. Z. canina S. Wats. Proc Am. 

 Acad. 20 : ICO (1S91). 



('ulms several from the same root, 

 ascending, branched. 2-4 m. high. 

 Leaves like those of Zea Mays. Stami- 

 ;.ate racemes often elongated and 

 drooping. S])ikelets 2-4 (usually 3) at each node, one or nn)ro 

 short-pedicelled ; emjity glume 3-5-nerved, bicarinate. Pistillate 



Fk). 2. — Zen Mujix. Staminate 

 spikt'U't, X 3. (IJirlinrdson.) 



