. Textbook of pastoral and agricultural botany, for the study of the injurious and useful plants of country and farm. matterwill not be solved finally until either a wild progenitor of maize is dis-covered by some fortunate botanist, or the cultivated maize (cultigen)is produced synthetically from maize and teosinte combined, as somel)otanists think that the cultivated plant is of hybrid origin, or from teo-sinte alone. 155 156 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY Description.—Maize is a summer annual and is dependent upon manfor its reproduction, not sowing itself from seed, as a wild plant (Fig.
. Textbook of pastoral and agricultural botany, for the study of the injurious and useful plants of country and farm. matterwill not be solved finally until either a wild progenitor of maize is dis-covered by some fortunate botanist, or the cultivated maize (cultigen)is produced synthetically from maize and teosinte combined, as somel)otanists think that the cultivated plant is of hybrid origin, or from teo-sinte alone. 155 156 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY Description.—Maize is a summer annual and is dependent upon manfor its reproduction, not sowing itself from seed, as a wild plant (Fig. 65).Its root system is fibrous, but in addition there are aerially developed proproots which soon become fixed in the soil. The stem of corn is solid withthe closed, collateral sap-bundles scattered in a cross-sectional view. Fre-quently corn produces suckers which correspond with the stools of of corn are undesirable, as they are heavy soil feeders and reducethe yield through nonproduction of ears. The leaves are two rankedwith large, broad blades at the base of which is a conspicuous membran-. FiG. 65.—Field of maize at Sea Girt, N. J., August 23, 1919- ous ligule, or rain-guard. Corn is monoecious. The pistillate flowersare borne in a spike, or ear, surrounded by the bases of transformed leaves,or husks. The male flowers are produced in a terminal tassel. Thepistillate spikelets are arranged in rows along a fleshy axis, or cob. Eachnormal pistillate spikelet has two flowers, the lower (outer) one of which isabortive, but this floret is represented by the persistent lemma and palea(Fig. 66). The spikelet is subtended by two glumes that are shorterthan the ovary, very broad and fleshy at the base, thin membranous aboveand fringed on the edges. The lemma and palea of the fertile flower areshort, broad and membranous. The single ovary bears a long style, or THE MOST IMPORTANT CEREALS 157 thread of silk. The tassel, or panicle of staminate spikelets is terminal
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