Maize, Zea mays, is an annual grass in the family Poaceae, native to Mexico and Central America. The stem of the maize plant is typically composed of 20 internodes with leaf sheaths that cover the nodes. Inflorescences are borne at the end of each branch, and consist of one or more ears. Each ear contains many kernels arranged in rows called ranks. Rows are usually numbered from the base to apex, with the basal (first) row being longest. Ears typically have 18–25 ranks of kernels, but can have as few as 8 or as many as 40. Kernel colors include white, yellow, red, purple, and black. Maize is grown throughout the world for a variety of uses including food (human and animal), feed for livestock, fuel (biofuel), industrial applications (e.g., biodegradable plastics), and even recreation (e.g., cornhole).
Maize is thought to have originated in Mexico or Central America about 10,000 years ago. It was first domesticated from a wild grass called teosinte by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. From there it was introduced to other parts of the world by Spanish explorers and conquistadors during the 16th century CE. Today maize is grown on every continent except Antarctica; however, it is most prevalent in developing countries in Latin America and Africa where it forms a staple part of many diets. In developed countries like the United States and Canada maize is primarily used as livestock feed or processed into ethanol for fuel production rather than being eaten directly by people .
The name “maize” comes from Spanish maíz which itself derives from Taino mahiz . Other common names for maize include corn (in English), korn (in German), blé (in French), dhone ke chawal (in Hindi), makka ka atta (in Urdu), trigo de Alepo (in Portuguese) , elotillo(In Nahuatl)and zea(In scientific nomenclature). The word “corn” actually refers to any small hard particle or grain , so technically any cereal crop could be called a type of “corn” . For example , wheat grains are sometimes referred to as “corn” In Old English , corn simply meant grain . The use of “corn” specifically for maize became common after contact with North American Indigenous peoples during European colonization Because England was such a dominant force during early colonization , their usage eventually spread throughout Europe and then globally .
Maize plants grow to between 1-3 meters tall depending on the cultivar . They have stout stalks that are often hollow near the base with numerous side branches bearing leaves . Male flowers grow in tassels at tips of branches while female flowers form ears enclosing several ovules Ears themselves can vary considerably – they may be long slender ones found on field corn varieties or short compact ones better suited for popping popcorn . Each kernel sits snugly within its own hull or husk When ripe , kernels contain anywhere between 20-80% starch depending on genetic potential and environmental conditions such as temperature Maize oil can also be extracted from certain types of corn though this isn’t commonly done on an industrial scale