2l6 



BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



known. The plant has been cultivated in Europe and 

 Asia from the earliest times. 



CH^ffiTOCHLOA ITALICA (Foxtan MiUets) 



Stem. — The plants are 

 erect and from 2 to 5 feet 

 tall. The culms are cylin- 

 drical ; they may branch near 

 the base, but such branches 

 seldom produce flowers and 

 fruit. 



Leaf. — The leaf sheaths 

 are open, and smooth or 

 hairy. The ligule is short, 

 thick, and fimbriated; auri- 

 cles are absent. The leaf 

 blades are long, broad, and 

 taper to a sharp point. 



Inflorescence. — The 

 spikes (Fig. 79) are 4 to 9 

 inches long, and ^^ to 2 inches 

 thick. The chief axis of the 

 inflorescence and the short 

 side branches are hairy. On 

 the short lateral branches, 

 there occur bristles (Fig. 82) 

 subtending the spikelets. 

 These bristles bear short 

 hairs that point forward. 

 There is evidence that they 

 are abortive branches. It 

 has been noted that varieties 



apparently without bristles, occasionally bear spikelets with 



bristles. 



~\A— lemma of 

 " ^sterile ' 

 jlower 



U! glume 

 bristles 



Fig. 82. — Spikelet of foxtail millet 

 (Chaetochloa italica). X 15. 



