Supermaize

Supermaize is a cereal plant that was the result of genetic modification of common Old Earth maize and Sovrenstalk, a plant native to the planet Gupta II near the Line worlds. It was the first known successful Earth-Xeno hybridization attempt, noted for its resilience in the face of a number of habitats (barring extremes of gravity) and its extreme versatility in preparation. As a result it became a staple of diets throughout the galaxy being used in a vast number of dishes, particularly within Civilized Space.   Supermaize is unsurprisingly a hybrid of Sovrenstalk and Maize from Old Earth (specifically a breed of Zea mays with a high degree of genetic variability). This hybridization produces a ceral grass with an extremely strong, drought resistant stalk, and broad ears of nutrient rich grain, usually in a diverse array of red and yellow colors. While growing, Supermaize is known to produce small pink or orange flowers, and has much more silk than traditional Earth Maize. Supermaize grows well in Earthlike or lighter gravity, to approximately .75g for optimal growing conditions, and performs poorly in higher gravity, becoming unviable beyond 1.1g. Compared to its gravitic resilience, Supermaize handles different atmospheric and hydrospheric conditions extremely well, handling almost any primarily nitrogenous atmosphere with ease, and being extremely effective at surviving on little water, as well as filtering toxins out of its water supply.   Supermaize is a major cash crop being utilized both as a staple of many diets, and as an extremely useful industrial material. It is fairly nutritious and is used often as a base for foods, often as a noodle base, a mash, or as a starchy vegetable, all over the galaxy, primarily in Civilized Space as those living on the Frontier prefer the Raxian Potato as a staple, and is noteworthy its broad use in a number of meta alternatives. Supermaize is also utilized industrially, both as a key component of ethanols for chemical energy generators, and its use as a natural water filter.

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