16 INDIAN CORN CULTURE. 



and consists of a mass of fine hairs called silk, 

 enclosed in the husks of the ears to be. The 

 tassel contains many small flowers (see Fig. 1), 



and each of these 

 produces a large 

 amount of pollen or 

 dust for fertilizing 

 the female flowers. 

 This pollen is from 

 the anthers of the 

 flowers, and accord- 

 ing to Harshberger* 

 as many as 2,500 

 are formed in a 



FIG. 1.— The stem at left Ibb brancbot the „■ i„ , J.u„„ J 



male panicle. Bfaowtugsplkelets. Tbecenter SmglO antlier, and 

 flKure Is of a pair of these spUcelets re- , _ ^r\r\ r\r\r\ 

 moved. The figure at the right Is one of IH. 000. 000 arO fflVeU 

 the male splk^lets opened, showing two J^'-')'-'"")""" ""^^ ql\kdix 

 flowers Inside. (After Harshberger.) „g fTifi numbPF DrO- 



duced by each plant, there being 7,200 stamens 

 to a panicle. 



The female (pistillate) flowers being located 

 below the male (staminate), the pollen of the 

 male is blown about in the air and falls onto 

 the silks which protrude from the enclosing 

 husks, and fertilizes them. Each silk extends 

 back into the husk and to the seat of what will 

 become a kernel of corn if fully fertilized. The 

 content of this husk is an embryo ear of corn. 

 The portion of the silk exposed is somewhat 

 hairy without, and is a hollow tube within. 



*Maize: A botanical study, etc., p. 85. 



