Maize

Maize is a cereal grain plant and a staple food crop in many parts of the world. In addition to being consumed directly by plant consuming inhabitants, maize is also used for corn ethanol, animal feed and (also known as corn) other maize products, such as corn starch and corn syrup. The six major types of maize are dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Maize is a leafy stalk whose kernels have seeds inside. It is an angiosperm, which means that its seeds are enclosed inside a fruit or shell.

Genetics and Reproduction

Maize plants contain both male and female reproductive structures and reproduce by both cross-pollination and self-pollination. In most commercially viable maize genotypes, the female structure (the ear) projects outward from a central stalk, while the male structure (the tassel) projects out the top of the stalk. Pollen from the tassel is carried by the wind to other maize plants, where fertilization of the individual kernels on the ear occurs. Maize reproduces sexually each year. This randomly selects half the genes from a given plant to propagate to the next generation, meaning that desirable traits found in the crop (like high yield or good nutrition) can be lost in subsequent generations unless certain techniques are used.

Additional Information

Domestication

Scholars agree that maize was domesticated from the plant teosinte (Zea mays spp. parviglumis) in central America at least as early 9,000 years ago. The process of maize domestication radically changed it from its origins. The seeds of wild teosinte are encased in hard shells and arranged on a spike with five to seven rows, a spike that shatters when the grain is ripe to disperse its seed. Modern maize has hundreds of exposed kernels attached to a cob which is completely covered by husks and so cannot reproduce on its own. The morphological change is among the most divergent of speciation known on the planet, and it is only recent genetic studies that have proven the connection.
The main theory is that hauflins within the highlands of what is know Anahauc, grew hybrids of teosinte and a mutant variety that yielded more crops to become an early form of maize. Eventually, maize spread out from Anahauc, probably by the diffusion of seeds along trade networks rather than migration of people. It was used in the southwestern Hahnunah by about 3,200 years ago, and in the east beginning about 2,100 years ago. By 700 CE, maize was well established up into the Inuktitut area.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Maize and cornmeal (ground dried maize) constitute a staple food in many regions of the world. Maize is used to produce cornstarch, a common ingredient in home cooking and many industrialized food products. Maize starch can be treated to produce syrups, particularly high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener; and also fermented and distilled to produce grain alcohol, the traditional source of Bourbon whiskey. Corn flour is used to make cornbread and other baked products.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Maize and its wild ancestor are native to Hahnunah, in particular the Anahauc Basin where they were first domesticated.

Scientific Name

Zea mays