6 BULLETIN" 925. U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
Brachytic plants are of two general types with respect to the 
shape of the internodes. The most common type has internodes of 
the familiar cylindrical form. A longitudinal section through the 
long axis of the other type of internode is almost triangular, the 
internode being in the shape of an obliquely truncated cylinder. 
This form of internode is due to the position of the node, which in 
these cases instead of being horizontal and at right angles to the 
main axis is borne obliquely (PL IV). This character of the node 
does not always extend throughout the entire plant, the upper nodes 
tending to assume the horizontal position. A tendency toward such 
a difference in the position of the nodes probably exists also in 
plants of normal stature, but has escaped detection until accentu- 
ated by brachysm. The alteration in the position of the node seems 
to be unaccompanied by other changes, and whether it will be in- 
herited remains to be seen. The buds are borne in the leaf axils on 
the long side of the internodes and seem to be entirely normal. 
The internodes of brachytic plants differ also in the shape of the 
sides, which in some cases are convex and in others concave. This 
difference seems irrespective of the length of the internode in bra- 
chytic plants, although in normal plants short internodes are fre- 
quently convex^ indicating a partial compensation in girth for the 
loss of height. 
INHERITANCE OF OTHER BRACHYTIC VARIATIONS. 
In one other instance brachytic plants have appeared in the prog- 
eny of a hybrid of which one of the parents was Chinese (PL V). 
In all probability the brachytic characteristic in both these cases is 
derived from the Chinese parent, since this variety produces a rather 
large number of nodes for the height of the plant. The usual num- 
ber is about 19, with an average height of 135 cm. as compared with 
the well-known Boone County White variety, which produces about 
20 nodes, with an average height of 240 cm., indicating an internode 
length of about 12 cm. for Boone and of 7 cm. for the Chinese. 
The hybrid in question was between a white dent variety from 
Kansas and Chinese, grown from original seed. The first genera- 
tion was of normal stature, and no evidences of brachysm appeared 
in numerous progenies until the fourth generation. In the fourth 
generation, however, two brachytic plants were found in a progeny of 
only 20 individuals. One of these plants was self-pollinated, and its 
progeny offers a striking contrast to those derived from the Chinese- 
Algerian hybrid. Only 10 plants were grown from this self-pol- 
linated ear and 9 of them were of normal stature, the other being 
brachytic. This latter plant has been self-pollinated, but a progeny 
has not yet been growm The pedigree of this hybrid is shown in 
figure 1. 
