Topic: Corn flower?

[ina]

What is this? It grew out of the top of the plant where the flowers come out. Weird or what?

[john_miller]

Corn was so highly refined by the first peoples of northern South America that it was only with the advent of gene mapping that botanists were able to figure out the species of wild grass that corn was bred from. Most grasses produce seed at the top of a modified grass blade- this is merely a genetic reversion back to those wild grasses. Unusual, yes, but when I worked picking corn every summer I would always see a few each year.  

[suhayb]

I have not used this phrase for a long time , but that is TOO COOL! 8)
A real gene freak! I want one!
Is it edible (eatable)?
Tim do you think the seeds are 'viable' (whats the term I'm looking for??) .  If planted would they grow?

Ina why not try propagating these, then you can have a bred named after you, even if no one wants to buy the seeds! ;)

[john_miller]

I don't know what Tim thinks but I imagine it would be chewy, to say the least! You could also spend some time picking rotten silk out of your teeth (if you've never done it, picking even fresh silk out of your teeth is irritating)!
Probably viable, but I imagine it's F₁, so may not come true.
Coolness is in the eye of the beholder, but I do think smut infected corn is more attractive (does that infect corn in the U.K., anyone?) .

[Tenuse]

Not sure about smut? but Ergot infection in wheat looks odd and "cool" - until you realise how poisonous it is!!

Ten x

[Mrs Ava]

Smutty corns....hehehehe...sorry, not acting my age again!

Just googled it to see what smut on corns looks like, and YUCK!  Never seen that before, and would be rather upset if my corn got a case of that!  As for your oddity Ina, I also think it looks rather groovy.  One for the photo album for sure!

[ina]

Thanks John, very interesting. I never thought of corn being a grass but now you mention it I can see that.

This does make me wonder. genetic reversion, far back, of humans. Maybe it happened. It's the annual fair in town and much drinking is going on, last night a bunch of noisy Neanderthalers woke up the whole street.

[suhayb]

Sorry John!