A BEACH YTIC VAKIATIOW IN MAIZE. 19 



While there is a definite relation between the length of internocles 

 and sheaths on normal plants, this relationship is not found on 

 brachytic plants. On these plants the coefficient of correlation be- 

 tween these characteristics is but 0.036+0.097, indicating complete 

 independence in the size of these two organs. 



Since the length of the longest sheath has the same range and va- 

 riability in both brachytic and normal plants, the absence of a corre- 

 lation with length of internode on the brachytic plants indicates that 

 the variability in internode length on these plants is due to environ- 

 mental rather than inherited differences. 



TERATOLOGICAL VARIATIONS. 



Although brachysm is commonly accompanied by other abnormal 

 manifestations, only two teratological forms have been observed in 

 the progenies of brachytic-normal maize hybrids. One of these ab- 

 normalities is ears which end in staminate spikes. This abnormality 

 has been observed frequently in strains not involving brachysm and 

 therefore may be considered as having appeared incidentally in these 

 hybrid progenies, with no direct relation to the brachysm of the culm. 



The other variation is entirely new in our experience, and while 

 there is no evidence to indicate that it is caused by brachysm it seems 

 desirable to record briefly the more general features of its inheritance. 

 In this variation the leaves adhere to one another as if glued (PI. 

 XIII). With many plants the upper leaves are affected most se- 

 verely, but the seedling leaves also are subject to the abnormality. 



Seedlings in which this peculiarity is pronounced fail to develop, 

 and even those plants which exhibit the character in a minor degree 

 produce but little seed. When the variation makes its appearance 

 relatively late in the life of the plant the upper leaves adhere so 

 firmly that the culm is forced into many contortions in attempting to 

 elongate. In some instances the ear-bearing node is involved, in 

 which case the ear also is contorted. The branches of the tassel are 

 compacted into a solid structure which in expanding bursts through 

 the confining blades and sheaths (PL XIV). The spikelets are ad- 

 versely affected and become shortened and twisted. In view of the 

 nature of this variation it has been designated " adherence." 



The variation appeared in two second-generation progenies of the 

 brachytic-Boone hybrid, but in none of the other progenies involving 

 brachytic. In these two progenies the percentage of total plants that 

 were adherent was 19.ldzl.85. The adherent variation was, however, 

 confined to plants of normal stature, and the percentage of adherent 

 among the nonbrachytic plants was 23.9 ±2.1. The nature of the 

 abnormality was such that the stature of the adherent plants was 

 reduced, but there can be no question that the variation appeared 

 only on plants genetically of normal stature. This is well demon- 



