450 
DEMETRIUS ION ANDRONESCU 
Plants Developed from 
Yellow Dent 
White Dent 
White Flint 
Kernel 
Embryo 
Kerne 1 
Embryo 
Kernel 
Embryo 
Length of stalks (meters) 
1.65 
1.46 
1. 81 
1.72 
1.26 
1. 18 
Internodes (number) 
18 
16 
22 
19 
12 
12 
Diameter of stalks (cm.) 
1-93 
1-35 
2 
1.80 
1. 10 
1.00 
10 
9 
16 
13 
7 
5 
however, that in the stalks produced from embryos the ears appeared at 
a lower node than in other stalks, and that, while no ear was perfectly 
developed, those on the plants produced from the embryos were the 
best, the explanation being that pollination and fecundation occurred 
after the storm and cold weather of early August while in the case of the 
plants developed from kernels, pollination and fecundation occurred pre- 
vious to and during the storm. 
Discussion 
This problem, as stated at the beginning of the article, is one which will 
require a study extending through several generations of maize in order to 
draw definite conclusions. The writer believes, however, that the results 
obtained from these preliminary experiments ofTer material for at least a 
discussion. 
Sufficient proof is at hand to demonstrate that with maize, normal 
plants may be developed from embryos without endosperms. The germi- 
nation of embryos with their endosperms removed seems to follow through 
exactly the same stages as those of the germination of whole seeds, except 
that the process is slower. The lack of the endosperm in germination 
does not so much influence the root system of the young plants as it pro- 
duces a general retarding influence on the whole development. 
The tendency toward a longer period of growth of plants developed from 
embryos with endosperms removed is reduced by the tendency of these 
plants to reduce their number of internodes. 
The chemical composition of difTerent anatomical parts of the maize 
kernel also must be considered. From the well-known work of Hopkins 
(7) the writer has compiled the following table : 
Percentage of Total in Kernel 
Protein 
Oil 
Carbohydrates 
Ash 
20.14 
82.43 
4-97 
74.55 
76.66 
15.18 
86.68 
21.33 
2.07 
1.08 
6.80 
3.06 
1. 14 
0,69 
1.56 
1.06 
From this table it will be seen that the embryo contains almost all the 
oil of the kernel and the largest percentage of minerals, while the endosperm 
