11 



FIG. 1. Euchlsena mexicana Schrad. TEOSINTE.— a, A pistillate spike with 

 one of the surrounding sheath-like bracts; 6, a portion of the pistillate spike, 

 natural size. 



1. EUCHXiENA Schrad. Ind. Sern. Hort. Goett. 1832. Spikelets unisexual, 

 monoecious; the staminate 2-flowered, in pairs, one sessile the other pedicellate, 

 arranged in terminal paniculate racemes; the pistillate 1-flowered, sessile and 

 solitary at each joint of an obliquely articulate rhachis of a simple spike; the 

 spikes fasciculate in the leaf axils and each more or less enveloped by a folia- 

 ceous bract. Glumes of the staminate spikelets 4, acute, the first two mem- 

 branaceous, empty; flowering glumes smaller and like their paleas, hyaline. 

 Stamens 3. Glumes of the pistillate spikelets 4, the outer one broad and boat- 

 shaped, smooth, soon becoming very hard, surrounding the inner glumes and 

 narrow rhachis, 2d glume empty coriaceous, 3d glume hyaline with a palea 

 but no flower; 4th or flowering glume and its palea hyaline. Styles very long, 

 filiform, shortly bifid at the apex. 



Tall annuals with long and broad leaves, closely resembling Indian corn 

 in habit. Species 1 with several varieties in Mexico and Central America. 



