. Corn plants; their uses and ways of life. PROVISION FOR OFFSPRING. 59. mountains of Mexico, a wild plant closely resembling our maize. The Indians call it "coyote corn," be- cause the coyotes or prairie wolves are especially fond of it. It is so much like cidtivated maize that botan- ists believe it to be the same or very nearly the same as the wild ancestor of our familiar corn. The most marked difference between the coyote corn and the cultivated maize is in the fruit. As shown in Figure 11, the ear of this wild corn is inclosed in husks like those of cultivated maize, and has it
. Corn plants; their uses and ways of life. PROVISION FOR OFFSPRING. 59. mountains of Mexico, a wild plant closely resembling our maize. The Indians call it "coyote corn," be- cause the coyotes or prairie wolves are especially fond of it. It is so much like cidtivated maize that botan- ists believe it to be the same or very nearly the same as the wild ancestor of our familiar corn. The most marked difference between the coyote corn and the cultivated maize is in the fruit. As shown in Figure 11, the ear of this wild corn is inclosed in husks like those of cultivated maize, and has its small pointed kernels borne on a thick- ened rachis or cob. But this cob is divided into a series of segments by deep cuts extending inwards and upwards from just below the bases of the kernels. When the fruit is ripe the ear breaks easily into sec- tions in much the same way as the spike of rye or wheat. These sections, however, are inclosed by the husks, and so would seem to be pre- vented from being blown away like the spike sections of the plants mentioned. How shall we account for this hindrance to scattering the seeds ? Most proba- bly the explanation is this: The husks form a sort of pod, vase-like in form and open above, which holds Fio. 17. A,spikelet (similar to B, I'lo. 16) cut lengthwise to show the in- ner parts. Somewhat dia^ammatic. Sk, stalklet; R, R', its continua- tion as a little rachis within the spikelet; 0, C, outer hracts; M F, mature flower ; Y F, young flower not yet opened ; R F, rudimentary flower or pair of bracts with no floral organs within; D, bract with awn (B); E, inner bract; G, lodicule; F, F', filaments bearing anthers (R A, R A'), from one of which pol- len is falling (P); Sg, stigma; St, style ; Ov, ovary, containing an ovule (Ol); T a, a young antlier; Y A', a similar one cut lengthwise to show the poUen forming within. (Origi- nal.). Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanc
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsargentfrederickleroy, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890
