94 ' TRIANDRIA DIGYXIA 



I. Z. mays, L. Leaves lanceolate, keeled, entire. Willd. Sp. 4. 



p. 200. 



Vulgo — Corn. Indian Corn. Maize. 



Koot annual. Culm b to 8 or 10/< et high, and a:i inch to an inch and half in oV- 

 ameter, simple, (often producing swkcrs, or branches, at base\ nodose, semi-terete, 

 or with a broad channel on one side, smooth, solid with pith. Leaves lanceolate, 

 acuminate, nerved, keeled, 2 to 3 feet long, and '2 to 4 or 6 inches wide, smooth be- 

 neath, pubescent on the upper surface, ciliate on the margin: sheathe striate, 

 smooth* conspit uously pubescent along the margin ; ligule short, obtuse, slightly pw 

 hescent and ciliate. Staniinate Flowers lit terminal paniculate racemes. Spiki i. a 

 somewhat unilateral on (he brawhes. mostly in pairs, one subsessile and /he otlk r 

 pedicellate, ca h Ijloin re '. Gluiix s herbaceous, nerved, pubescent, the lower one 

 a little longer. Pale a 2 to each floret, nearly equal, membranaceous, ovate-ohlong, 

 obtuse, subdentate and ciliate at apex. Authers greenish yellow. Scales collate, 

 ral, cuneale, truncate, fleshy and smooth. Pistillate Flowers in solitary, axillary, 

 sessile spike (1 to 3 or \ -usually about *2 of these spikes, or Lars— on each plant). 

 Spikes enveloped in spathe-like convolute sheaths,- the outer or lowest of these 

 sheaths (being the one next the culm) thin and membranous, icit/i tiro kit Is. Spike- 

 lets Iflotccred, arranged m longitudinal series on a cylindrical spadix, or reccp- 

 tacle, 6 to 12 inches long,— the scries or rows, always in pairs: florets sessile, the 

 lower one abortive. Glumes 2; (he loner otic rather shorter, very broad, deeply 

 emarginate, or sonu what '2 lobe', filiate. Hie u\ pi r me suboi bi< ular* Abortive ilo 

 ret with 2 pale©; the lower one orbicular, embracing the fertile floret, the uppei 

 one shorter, with the margins inflexed. Fertile floret with 2 or 3 pale a* : theluwer 

 one suborbicular, the upper one very broad (or sometimes '2) Ovary smooth, o/;, - 

 void, obtuse or rounded, compressed at base. Style very long, filiform, projecting 

 beyond the sheaths, pendulous, often purple : Stigma pubesi cut, bifid. Seed com* 

 pressed, orbicular-reniform, or cuncute, often indented at apex, sitting transversely 

 on the cyliniric or conic receptacle, and partially imbedded in sockets formed by 

 the persistent glumes andpaletB. 

 Bab. Cultivated fields : common. Y\. July— August. Fr. Sept.— October. 



Obs. There arc several Varieties of this plant,— villi the seeds yellow, white, Of 

 sometimes dark purple ; undone which is mw h smaller, and comes sooner to matu- 

 rity. I have also seen a singular variety, in which every seed on the receptacle 

 appeared to have its own husk, or spat he like • overing, in addition to the general 

 envelope. The Indian Corn is one of the most interesting of f/ieGramine®— rival' 

 ling the Sugar Cane, a/id the Rice, in intrinsic value,— and, in this region at 

 least, ranking next in importance to Wheat itself* It is universally cultivate:', 

 here; being generally the first i/t the routine of crops, o?i breaking up the Lay, 

 or sod. The seed is planted early in May. No Other species of the genus is 

 known in the U. States. 



64. TRIPSACUM. L. jXutt. Gen. 116. 

 [Greek, Tribo, to grind ; of which the applicability to this plant is not obvious 3 



Moxoicous ; Flowers in digitate spi A *es. Stamixate Fl. Spike* 

 lets 2-flowered ; the outer one staminate, the inner mostly neuter. 

 Glumes 2 ; the outer or lower one coriaceous, the inner subcoriaceou*. 

 Palex membranaceous. Pistillate Fl. Spikelcts 3-flowered, 

 imbedded in the rachis, with a foramen, or sinus, at each side of the 

 base; one floret fertile, the others abortive. Glumes 2 ; the outer #ne 

 indurated. Pales of each floret 2, membranaceous. 



