No. 550] ZEA MAYS 617 



The ear of Z. ramosa, which is always of a definite form, is 

 borne at the usual place near the middle of the culm and is not 

 to be confused with sparsely branched ears sometimes found on 

 the culm nor with ears frequently found in the tassels on ordi- 



nary corn plants. Such abnormalities which are fluctuating 

 in their inheritance have thick basal branches of fleshy cob— 

 which may be as long or longer than the primary cob itself— 

 and may bear from two to a dozen or more rows of kernels on 

 each branch. Furthermore, no male florets have as yet been 

 found in any of the ears of Z. ramosa and they are always 

 covered with normal husks. 



