Leaves epidermis of maize (Zea mays L.) grown in field conditions were torn,fixed,stained via combining the simple staining,counterstaining,fluorescence and other cytological chromogenic methods,and the generation time,developmental process,distribution,morphological characteristics of short cells in epidermis of maize were observed and the relationship of K⁺ and H₂O₂ distribution change of the cork cells with those in other epidermal cells and the stomatal switch were investigated through optical microscopy,fluorescence microscopy,and scanning electron microscopy.The study can provide a cell theoretical basis for further exploration in new functions of short cells.The results showed that:(1) short cells appeared when new epidermal tissue in the multi-leaf positions of maize formed,and the generation occurred in all plants from the seventh new leaf,the base of the sixth leaf of most plants and the fifth leaf of few plants,and appeared in all later grown leaves.Short cells density of different parts of leaf increased with leaf position elevating.No short cells were found in the four initial leaves of all plants (because of no further growth).(2) The initial leaf epidermal cells divided asymmetrically to produce alternating long and short cells.Some short epidermal cells divided horizontally (vertical to leaf vein) and formed cork and silica cells pairs.The cork cells base were adjacent to the mesophyll cells while the silica cells were embedded top between cork cells and epidermal cells.(3) The leaves with short cells,macrocosmically,the back of leaves was bright and covered with waxy layer,and the staining character of epidermal cells changed from a microcosmic perspective.The mature cork cells were bread-shaped columnar cells while the silica cells were dumbbell flat cells.(4) When stomata apparatus opened,no K⁺ or H₂O₂ was in cork cells;when stomata apparatus closed,a large amount of K⁺ and H₂O₂ accumulation can be found in cork cells.The K⁺ and H₂O₂ accumulation in cork cells was consistent with those in subsidiary cells,while no K⁺ or H₂O₂ accumulation in silica cells and long cells.The generation time of short cells in epidermis of maize was identified in the study,and the morphological variation characteristics of the developmental process was showed,we also found that the accumulation of K⁺ and H₂O₂ in cork cells changed periodically along with the stomatal switch was found,moreover,it was consistent with those in subsidiary cells.