1 - The morphology, occurrence use and genetics of functional lower flowers in spikelets of maize are discussed briefly. Normally only the upper flower in each spikelet of a maize ear develops and bears a grain but in the examples discussed the lower flower develops as well as the upper. 2 - The embryo in maize is usually turned toward the tip of the ear while that of the grain produced from the lower flower is turned toward the base. 3 - In North and Central America and most of South America ears in which grains are borne in the lower flower of the spikelets are rare. One exception is the sweet corn, "Country Gentleman", which bears grains in both flowers of most spikelets. In Brasil and Bolivia, however, ears with two grained spikelets are more common. If maize originated in South America, one would expect to find more varieties, and more primitive types near the center of origin. 4 - In Pointed Sao Paulo (Brazil) Pop Corn, Dr. BRIEGER found ears in which both flowers developed in some spikelets. In some spikelets both grains were of normal size, but more often either the lower or the upper grain was much smaller. 5 - In ears found by Dr. MARTIN CARDENAS some spikelets bear only grains from the lower flowers., a condition characteristic of the "Poaceae" and not the "Panicaceae", to which maize belogns. 6 - Many genes which influence tassel characters also influence the ears. Some of these control the formation of grains in the lower flower of the female spikelet. Most of the known genes affecting the lower spikelets are recessive, as are those in the Bolivian and Brazilian ears studied, and in "Country Gentleman". 7 - An example of paired spikelets was found in Dr. Brieger's tunicate material. In this case two complete spikelets appear where normally there would be only one. They are symetrical, and one of them thus is in a position opposite to the normal. The grains in both are borne in the upper flower. 8 - Studies on the maize spikelet are being continued. Dr. Gonçalves Drumond of the Escola Superior de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, recently found some ears of "Cateto", the common Brazilian orange flint, in which the lower flower was functional and he is studying this line. The most interesting material for further study appears to be that found by Dr. Brieger in his Pipoca Pontudo Paulista, for here there are varying degrees of development of both the upper and lower grains.