Zea mays

Botanical Description

Zea mays is an erect, robust, usually unbranched annual plant; it can grow up to 6 metres tall but is more likely to around 2 metres with cultivars that can range from around 1 metre up to 3 metres or more. Maize is one of the most commonly cultivated crops in the world, providing a range of foods including popcorn, sweetcorn and a grain that can be ground into a flour. It was first domesticated in the Americas around 4,000 BC, but its cultivation has since spread to most parts of the world.[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant also has a wide range of other uses. It is often used in herbal medicine, being valued especially as a diuretc, and has a range of other uses including as a material for thatching, fibre for paper and cellulose production, oil, adhesive etc.