Corn and Okra 323 



commonly with brace-roots from tlie lower exposed joints; 

 stem or culm with prominent nodes or joints, above which 

 extend the long tight often ciliate-edged leaf -sheath: leaves 



1 at every joint, long linear-lanceolate, acuminate-pointed, 



2 to 3 ft. long and 2 to 3 In. wide, with a short scarious ligule 

 at top of sheath, the midrib prominent : flowers numerous, 

 imperfect, the staminate (male) in the " tassel " or panicle 

 terminating the culm, and the pistillate in " ears " or spikes 

 from 1, 2 or 3 of the lower or mid-stem axils and -facing a 

 grooved internode, the ears covered with modified sheaths or 

 husks ; staminate spikelets 2 at the nodes of the rachises con- 

 stituting the panicle (one of them pedieelled and one sessile), 

 each spikelet 2-flowered and with 2 empty dilate glumes and 

 2 thin palets and 2 lemmas, the stamens 3 in each flower and 

 bearing large exserted dangling anthers ; pistillate spikelets 

 sessile, 8 to 24 rows on a long thick axis or cob, comprising 

 a single pistil covered in the ciliate notched glumes but out- 

 growing the floral envelopes (which are 2 glumes, 2 palets and 

 2 lemmas) and leaving them as chaff on the cob, the single 

 style arising from the apex and very much prolonged, the 

 many protruding hanging styles constituting the " silk " : fruit 

 a hard dry angular kernel ("seed"), flattened on the sides, 

 narrowed below to a point or in other kernels truncate at 

 base, sulcate on one side, at maturity and when dry wrinkled 

 on top and the outsides, a well-formed pointed kernel measur- 

 ing at maturity % in. either, way, weighing 200 to 300 mg. 

 more or fess ; vitality 1 to 4 years. Sometimes pistillate flowers 

 are borne in the tassel, producing kernels ; and sometimes 

 there is a staminate extension of the ear ; these are unusual 

 and abnormal states. 



OKEA OE GUMBO 

 Warm climate and soil, and the attention given to the 

 growing of a good crop of corn or cotton, are the prime re- 

 quirements for okra. It is usually planted directly in the 

 field. 



