| Fig. 7. Very Young Pistillate Flower from Tassel of Pod Corn. Note difference between size of pistils and size and form of glumes and palets. The lower flower would probably be abortive. |
| Fig. 8. Hermaphrodite Flower. The parts are all numbered to correspond with Fig. 5. |
| Fig. 9. Hermaphrodite Flower of Maize (Zea mays). The anterior stamen is fairly well-developed, while the other two are mere remnants. |
| Fig. 10. Hermaphrodite Flower of Maize (Zea mays). |
Fig. 11. The Kind of a Tassel in which Hermaphrodite Flowers are very commonly Found.
outer glumes are found to be greatly thickened,and somewhat corneous. The palet almost encloses the young ovary, the glume covering only a narrow space on the back (Fig. 8), and the tip of the ovary often protruding. The palet and glume of the lower flower (which is now entirely abortive) are more or less hyaline and closely pressed against the dorsal side of the grain. However, in all varieties of corn both flowers in a spikelet will sometimes be found well developed. Twinned grains are especially common in the tassels of pod corn (Zea tunicata) (Figs. 6 and 7). Sturtevant[1] mentions an ear of podded flint corn from Ohio in which the kernels were twinned in the pod.
Hermaphrodite flowers are sometimes found; in fact, in tassels where pistillate flowers are produced, they are quite common (Figs. 8, 9, 10). The stamens, however, are generally very much reduced or are rudimentary. The dorsal stamen seems to persist longest and will often be well developed, while the other two are
- ↑ Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1894, p. 336.
