ZEA 



from the Teosinti- [Eiichhiiia ilexicana), a fodiUir 

 gi-ass that is much grown in Mexico, yet- Tfosiiilr. 

 Tliis hitter view has arisen from experiments in <•]■(. ss- 

 iiig Teusinte anil Maize, whereby a niaize-liliB plant lias 

 been produced, tlius showing the very ck)se attinity of 

 the two species. Plants of this hybrid were theaiyht bv 

 the late Sereuo Watson and others to constiluti' a new 

 species of Zea, and AVatsou nanieil it Z. cu lumi. This 

 plant quickly reverts to ordinary (.'orn when grown in 

 the North (see Harshberger, U.K. '.):.".L"J; t'ontr. Bot. 

 Lab. Univ. Penn. 2:L':!1. Als(. Bailey, Pull. 4'J, Cormdl 

 Exp. Sta.). Figs. 277-1, 277r>. Zea J!aiis. theref(n-e, njay 

 be (1) a true species, of which the wihl jirototype is 

 nnknowai ; (2) a direct offshoot by domestication of 

 Jiiiclilinia Mcrifuiia; (3) a product of crossing between 

 EKcJthfiia Jfexic't nil and some unknown related species; 

 (4) a prodiict of crossing between Em-liUfnii Mexicinia 

 and a domesticated race of the same species. C>ur 

 knowledge is yet insufficient to enable ns to offer much 

 more than conjecture on these categories. 



Maize is remarkably variable, although most of the 

 variations intergrade in ditferent regions and under 

 different conditions. The most extended American study 

 of variation and varieties in I\Iaize has been made by 

 the late Dr. E. Lewis Stnrtevant. The summary of his 

 study of varieties is published as Bull. .57, O'ftice of 

 Experiment Stations, V. .'^. Dept. of Agric. ("Varieties 

 of Corn," 1899). Sturtevant throws the varieties of 

 Maize into seven "species groups" or "agricultural 

 species." The distinguishing characters of these 

 groups are founded on the kernels. Aside from these 

 there is at least one well-marked race 

 of ornamental maize, Zen Japonica , 

 which for horticultural purposes may 

 well be separated from the others. In 

 the following classification, the char- 

 acters of the races, except of the orna- 

 mental sorts, are copied from Sturte- 

 vant. It is proltable that a strict in- 



ZEA 



2()05 



11 My:^J 



2775. Ear of Zea 

 canina. second 

 year from the 

 wild. Cob flat- 



tish (X^i). 



quiry into tlie no- 

 menclature of Zi''i 

 Jlirys would lin<l 

 other names to re- 

 ]il;ii-e sniiie of those 

 .(^ivcn by Sturte- 

 V :i n t ; h n t li i .s 

 names ha\<' t)ie 

 great merits of deli- 

 niti-ness and of i\\}- 

 plir'aliilily to Amer- 

 ican f o r m s (.if 

 Maize. 



Zea Mays, Linn. Maize. I>ri>i.\N <;<"'T-;n. A com- 

 posite species, of which no sini^le form caii tie taken :is 

 the type. Linnseus meant the name to cover the whole 

 range of forms then grown in Buro])e;in gnnleiis. 

 Tender annual. If an original specific form of Maize 

 were to be discovered, this form would no doubt be 



2774. Zea canina, showing the long 

 branches, with ears at the joints. 



taken as the type, and all other forms ranged as varie- 

 ties of it. 



A. JIui:e 'jrnini for orria ment. 



V;ir. Jap6nica, Koern. {Z. Japthiica, Van Houtte. 

 Z. riltaln , Ilort. ). Foliage varionsly striped with 

 \vhir.- iilant small. Siiid to have come from -hiiian. 

 F.^. lG:](;7;j-4. Ears small; kernels yellowish, llinl. 



Var. grracillima, Koern. [Z. (jracillhiui and Z. whuma, 

 Hovl.). Very dwarf, slender form with grcoii Ivs., some- 

 tinirs cnlr. in En. A 



viiriny r<irieg(fla is also -^ ^S^^f^^ 



mentioned. W^i^rCkj ^ ^ 



Var. Ciir^g-na, Hurt. 

 {Z. Curdgifu, Molina), 

 is described as a very 

 r o 1.) u 8 t green - leaved 

 form. Sturtevant places 

 it in the Pop Corn tribe. 

 On. 42, p. 207. 



2776. Zea canina. third 

 year from the wild. 

 Kernels less pointed. 

 Cob nearly cylindrical 

 (X-3). 



2777. Poi or Husk Corn. - Zea 

 M M^ys. var. tunicata {y !>-^). 



Each kernel inclosed in a husk. 



AA. B/iiipje f/roirii pr'nnarihj 



for iJie (irai)i vr fndf. 

 Var. tunicata (Z. inuief'ifa, 

 Stnrt.). Pod Ookn. Figs. 2777, 

 277«. Plate VII. In this gr.jup 

 each kernel is inclosed in a 

 pod or husk, and the ear thn.s 

 formed is inclosed in husks, 



Var. e verta {Z. >- r f r t n , 

 Sturt.). P<..r (JoKN. Fig. ilol, 

 Vol. I. Plate VII. This group is characterized by the 

 excessive proportion of the corneous endosjierm and the 

 small size of the kernels and ear. The best varieties 

 have a corneous endosperm throughout. This gives the 

 projierty of popping, which is the comjilete eversion or 

 turning inside out of the kernel thrr.tigh the explosion 

 of the contained moisture on ajfplication of heat. A 

 small depi.isit of starchy endosperm does not greatly in- 

 terfere with this property of po]iping, hut when the 

 starchy endosperm is in excess, ;is in a Hint (.'orn, the 

 kernel does not evert, but the corneous poition <ady ex- 

 ]iloiles or splits, leaving the standiy iiortiou unchanged. 

 The true I'op Corn is hence ^ 



tender in its eating; the 

 false Pop Corn has a ten- 

 der portion of limited ex- 

 tent only. This class of 

 Corus is even more readily 

 rec(ji,^nized by inspection 

 than liy description. 



V;ir. indurata [Z. in- 



flurdfn, Sturt.). Flint 



Plate VII. Fig. 



:i-ronp readily re- 



I liy the occurrence 



trr-h y endosperm. 



COKN. 



"771). A 



COgJI 



of a 



inclo 



dos])erm, as .shown in a 



split seeil. This corneous 



en<losperm varies in thickness with VMricties. ^^'hen 



very thin at the summit of I he k<'rnel the shrinkage of 



the starchy endosperm nniy cause a depression, thus 



simulating externally a dent from which its structure 



at once differentiates it. 



2778. Cross-section of ear of 

 Husk Corn (v ^j ) . 



