Zea perennis

(Hitchc.) Reeves & Mangelsd.
Common names: Perennial teosinte
Synonyms: Euchlaena perennis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 699.

Plants perennial; rhizomatous, rhizomes to 40 cm or longer, internodes 1-6 cm, not forming tuberous short-shoots. Culms 1-2.5 m tall, 1.5-2 cm thick, loosely clumped, usually branched above. Blades 20-65 (80) cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, linear. Pistillate peduncles 1-2 (3) per node, 10-25 cm, at least 1 and sometimes 2 extending far beyond the terminal leaf-sheaths; pistillate rames 4-8 cm long, 4-6 mm thick, distichous, with 5-10 solitary spikelets, distal portions often staminate; fruitcases trapezoidal in side view, 6-9 mm on the long side, 2.5-4.5 mm on the short side, 4-5 mm in diameter. Caryopses concealed by the lower glumes. Terminal staminate panicles 12-20 cm, with 2-8 branches; branches 9-15 cm, erect to nodding, internodes 2.4-6.2 mm; spikelets 8.5-11 mm long, 2-2.5 (3.2) mm wide, densely imbricate; lower glumes flat dorsally, stiff, not translucent, margins tightly enclosing the upper glumes, lateral-veins prominent, strongly winged distally. 2n = 40.

Discussion

Zea perennis is parapatric to Z. diploperennis, being native to the northern base of the Volcan de Colima, Jalisco, Mexico, at elevations of 1520-2200 m. It is rare, although locally abundant, in and around maize fields and orchards in former open oak and pine forests and savannahs. Zea perennis crosses infrequently with Z. mays subsp. mays. The hybrids, being triploid, are sterile. It has also been cultivated at research stations in the United States for many years and Hitchcock (1951) reported that it was established at James Island, South Carolina. It is not known if the population has persisted.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Zea perennis"
anatomy +  and kranz +
Hugh H. litis +
(Hitchc.) Reeves & Mangelsd. +
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 +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (65 cm650 mm <br />0.65 m <br />) +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
reduced +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
erect;nodding +
spikelike +
reduced +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
subspherical +  and dorsally compressed +
always much thicker +
Perennial teosinte +
several to many +  and solitary +
purple +  and reddish +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (250 cm2,500 mm <br />2.5 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (600 cm6,000 mm <br />6 m <br />) +
woody +  and succulent +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
S.C. +  and Tex. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
concealing +
2 +  and 1 +
compressed +  and terete +
5-14(28)-veined +
stiff +  and flexible +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
unequal +
membranous +  and chartaceous +
uncinate +
pistillate +, branching +  and staminate +
distichous +  and paniculate +
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
bisexual +  and unisexual +
solid +  and hollow +
0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br /> (0.62 cm6.2 mm <br />0.0062 m <br />) +
not disarticulating +
distichous +  and more or less polystichous +
photosynthetic +
not aromatic +
coriaceous +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
sessile-pedicellate +  and subsessile +
fused +  and free +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +  and 25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (?) +
dry +  and fleshy +
elongate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
8 +  and 24 +
bladeless +  and open +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
polystichous +
staminate +, sessile +, pistillate +, disarticulating +  and pedicellate +
imbricate +  and distichous +
0.85 cm8.5 mm <br />0.0085 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
5 +  and 10 +
sterile +  and bisexual +
usually smaller +  and reduced +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
2mm +  and 2.5mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
filamentous +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Euchlaena perennis +
Zea perennis +
species +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
membranous +
sessile-pedicellate +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +