Zea mays subsp. parviglumis

H.H. litis & Doebley
Common names: Balsas teosinte Guerrero teosinte
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 703.

Culms (0.5) 2-4 m, unbranched or branched above the middle, thinner than in subsp. mexicana. Leaves pubescent. Fruitcases 5-8 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Caryopses concealed. Staminate panicles with (2) 10-100 (235) slender, often drooping branches; spikelets 4.6-7.2 mm, distant. 2n = 20.

Discussion

Zea mays subsp. parviglumis, which has the smallest fruitcases of all the wild taxa, is endemic to the Pacific slope of southern Mexico, from Oaxaca to Jalisco, being most abundant in the Balsas River drainage. It grows in highly seasonal, sunny thorn scrub, and open tropical deciduous forests and savannahs, at elevations of (450)600-1400(1950) m. One of its higher elevation populations appears to be the ancestor of subsp. mays. In the southern United States, Z. mays subsp. parviglumis is grown as part of breeding programs. In its native habitat, it tends to be seasonally isolated from subsp. mays, flowering a few weeks later, but the two sometimes form abundant hybrids in local areas.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."thin" is not a number.

anatomy +  and kranz +
Hugh H. litis +
H.H. litis & Doebley +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
disarticulating +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
well-developed +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (90 cm900 mm <br />0.9 m <br />) +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
reduced +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
spikelike +
slender +
subspherical +  and dorsally compressed +
always much thicker +
Balsas teosinte +  and Guerrero teosinte +
branched +  and unbranched +
several to many +  and solitary +
purple +  and reddish +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br /> (400 cm4,000 mm <br />4 m <br />) +
woody +  and succulent +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Ga. +, Va. +, Conn. +, R.I. +, Calif. +, Idaho +, Oreg. +, Wash. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Colo. +, Iowa +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Mass. +, Md. +, Maine +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Miss. +, Mont. +, N.C. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, Puerto Rico +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Virgin Islands +, Vt. +, Wis. +, W.Va. +, Wyo. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Fla. +, Nebr. +, Ariz. +  and Nev. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
concealing +
2 +  and 1 +
compressed +  and terete +
5-14(28)-veined +
collapsed and embedded in the rachis +  and shallow +
stiff +  and flexible +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
reduced +
membranous +  and chartaceous +
uncinate +
staminate +, unbranched +, pedunculate +  and pistillate +
distichous +  and paniculate +
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +  and 30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (?) +
bisexual +  and unisexual +
1cm +  and 10cm +
solid +  and hollow +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.82 cm8.2 mm <br />0.0082 m <br />) +
not disarticulating +
distichous +  and more or less polystichous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
photosynthetic +
not aromatic +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
sessile-pedicellate +  and subsessile +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
fused +  and free +
dry +  and fleshy +
elongate +
8 +  and 24 +
bladeless +  and open +
pedunculate +  and pistillate +
polystichous +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +  and 30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (?) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
staminate +, sessile +, pistillate +, disarticulating +  and pedicellate +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
sterile +  and bisexual +
usually smaller +  and reduced +
0.46 cm4.6 mm <br />0.0046 m <br /> (0.72 cm7.2 mm <br />0.0072 m <br />) +
2.5mm +  and 5mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
filamentous +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Gramineae +
exposed +  and concealed +
Zea mays subsp. parviglumis +
Zea mays +
subspecies +
membranous +
sessile-pedicellate +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +