Corn (maize)

Corn, scientifically known as **_Zea mays_**, is a tall, stout, leafy annual grass that produces a large cereal grain. Originating in ancient Mexico, it is one of the world's most widely grown and important food crops, with production surpassing that of wheat and rice. * **Plant Structure:** The corn stalk is erect and solid. It is monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The **tassel** (male flowers) grows at the top of the stalk, producing pollen, and the **ear** (female flowers) develops lower down, yielding the kernels. * **The Ear:** The grain, or kernels, grows in tight, longitudinal rows on a central woody core called the **cob**. The entire ear is enclosed by protective, leafy sheaths known as **husks**. Long, silky strands, or **silks**, emerge from the top of the husk and are the female stigmas that must be pollinated to form a kernel. * **Varieties & Uses:** While often associated with the sweet yellow kernels eaten as a vegetable (**sweet corn**), the crop is mainly grown globally as **field corn** (or dent corn) for animal feed, biofuel (ethanol), and industrial raw materials like corn starch and corn syrup. Other types include **popcorn** and **flint corn**.