Book Description

1. This report is based on a study of 135 accessions of West Indian maize colletced from eleven islands. Progenies of each of the collections were grown and studied in Trinidade, B.W.I. Despite the heterogeneous nature of the material it has been possible to recognize seven more or less distinct races. Four of these Cuban Flint, Coastal Tropical Flint, Maiz Chandelle and Tuson, are believed to have reached the West Indies from South America. Another (St Croix) probably came from Mexico either directly or via southern United States. The origin of Early Caribbean and Haitian Yellow is obscure and appear not to be closely related to previously described races. Not all varieties of maize of the est Indies can be assigned to the seven races described. Hybridization between varieties, both currently, and in the past has resulted in numerous mixtures, many of which are more or less intermediate between certain of the described races. 2. General descriptions, tabular data on ears, plants and tassels, internode diagrams and photographs of typical ears and plants are included for each race. 3. A brief history of the recognized ethici groups of the West Indies is presented and related to the evolution of maize of the area. 4. Although the number of distinct races found in the West Indies is comparatively few, maize of the area is important for several reasons. It provided the source of the first maize introductions into Europe and from there has been distribted widely to various parts of the world. The complex (...).