Technical Factsheet

Basic

20 November 2019

Zea mays (maize)

Publication: PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank

https://doi.org/10.1079/pwkb.species.57417

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name: Zea mays L.
Preferred Common Name: maize
International Common Names: English
corn
Indian corn; Spanish
maíz; French
maïs; Portuguese
milho
Local Common Names: Cambodia
pôôt; Germany
Mais; Indonesia
jagung; Italy
mais comune; Laos
khauz ph'ôd
khauz sali; Malaysia
jagong; Netherlands
gewoone mais; Sweden
majs; Thailand
khao-phot; Vietnam
bawsp
ngoo
EPPO code: ZEAMX (Zea mays)

Pictures

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn with first leaf unfurling. Just behind the first plant the coleoptile of a later-emerging plant is visible. Stage VE. — Stage VE
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn with first leaf unfurling. Just behind the first plant the coleoptile of a later-emerging plant is visible. Stage VE.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn at the V1 stage. The collar of the first leaf is visible, the second leaf and the tip of the third leaf are also visible. — Stage V1
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn at the V1 stage. The collar of the first leaf is visible, the second leaf and the tip of the third leaf are also visible.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn at the V4 stage. The collars of four leaves are visible. — Stage V4
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn at the V4 stage. The collars of four leaves are visible.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn in the whorl stage, shortly before the stalk begins to lengthen rapidly. Note the tillers on some plants at the end of rows. — Whorl stage
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn in the whorl stage, shortly before the stalk begins to lengthen rapidly. Note the tillers on some plants at the end of rows.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); A method of protecting corn that is planted before temperatures are suitable for growth: sweetcorn seeded in shallow trenches is covered with clear plastic to speed germination and early growth. When temperatures under the plastic exceed desirable levels for sweetcorn, the plastic is torn. From then on the corn is grown to maturity without protection from the plastic. — Protective measures
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); A method of protecting corn that is planted before temperatures are suitable for growth: sweetcorn seeded in shallow trenches is covered with clear plastic to speed germination and early growth. When temperatures under the plastic exceed desirable levels for sweetcorn, the plastic is torn. From then on the corn is grown to maturity without protection from the plastic.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); another method of protecting corn that is planted before temperatures are suitable for growth: sweetcorn is covered after seeding with a spun-bonded agricultural fabric. If applied with plenty of slack, the material can be left on until just before tasseling, as on the right in this picture. This method also provides some protection from early season insects. — Protective measures
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); another method of protecting corn that is planted before temperatures are suitable for growth: sweetcorn is covered after seeding with a spun-bonded agricultural fabric. If applied with plenty of slack, the material can be left on until just before tasseling, as on the right in this picture. This method also provides some protection from early season insects.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); when soil temperatures are below optimum, sweetcorn seeded through clear plastic mulch can mature about a week earlier than a crop seeded on ground without mulch. — Clear plastic mulch
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); when soil temperatures are below optimum, sweetcorn seeded through clear plastic mulch can mature about a week earlier than a crop seeded on ground without mulch.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays - colour illustration — Illustration
Zea mays - colour illustration
©Wilhelm Valder

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn just before the tassel emerges from the whorl. — Field crop
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn just before the tassel emerges from the whorl.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn is often planted over a period of many weeks, to assure a continuous harvest. — Staggered plantings
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn is often planted over a period of many weeks, to assure a continuous harvest.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); emerging corn silk. — Silk
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); emerging corn silk.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); developing ear with red silk. — Red silk
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); developing ear with red silk.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn tassel as anthers begin to release pollen. — Tassels
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn tassel as anthers begin to release pollen.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn near time of harvest. (Scale units = inches.) — Field crop
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn near time of harvest. (Scale units = inches.)
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn during the ear filling stage. — Field crop
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); sweetcorn during the ear filling stage.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); to increase the genetic diversity of U.S. corn, the Germplasm Enhancement for Maize (GEM) project seeks to combine domestic corn lines with exotic germplasm, such as this unusually colored and shaped maize from Latin America. — Genetic diversity
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); to increase the genetic diversity of U.S. corn, the Germplasm Enhancement for Maize (GEM) project seeks to combine domestic corn lines with exotic germplasm, such as this unusually colored and shaped maize from Latin America.
Public Domain - Released by the USDA-ARS/original image by Keith Weller

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); a wide variety of coloured cobs from Peru. October 2005. — Variety of coloured cobs
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); a wide variety of coloured cobs from Peru. October 2005.
©Jenny Mealing/via flickr - CC BY 2.0

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); ear detail of a multicoloured variety. — Multicoloured variety
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); ear detail of a multicoloured variety.
©CSIRO/Carl Davies - CC BY 3.0

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); var. 'Fraise', strawberry popcorn, at point of sale. Linvilla Orchards, Media PA, USA. September 2012. — Strawberry popcorn
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); var. 'Fraise', strawberry popcorn, at point of sale. Linvilla Orchards, Media PA, USA. September 2012.
©Jim (James Capaldi) the Photographer Wants the Old flickr Back/Springfield PA, United States of America/via flickr - CC BY 2.0

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); cobs for sale. Sapanta, Romania. June 2007. — Cobs for sale
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); cobs for sale. Sapanta, Romania. June 2007.
©Adam Jones (Adam63)/via wikipedia - CC BY 3.0

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); maize for popcorn, cultivated in Hungary, producer UNO FRESCO TRADEX. — Maize for popcorn
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); maize for popcorn, cultivated in Hungary, producer UNO FRESCO TRADEX.
©Andrew Butko/via wikipedia - CC BY-SA 3.0

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); harvested ears of a yellow sugary-enhanced cultivar. This cultivar has exceptionally long flag leaves. (Scale units = inches.) — Harvested ears
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); harvested ears of a yellow sugary-enhanced cultivar. This cultivar has exceptionally long flag leaves. (Scale units = inches.)
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Maize leaf showing symptoms of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV). In early stages, the youngest leaves show fine chlorotic spots that coalesce and develop into broad chlorotic stripes along the veins. These chlorotic stripes contrast with dark green tissue when observed against the light. Leaves showing chlorosis eventually die. — Maize chlorotic mottle virus on maize
Maize leaf showing symptoms of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV). In early stages, the youngest leaves show fine chlorotic spots that coalesce and develop into broad chlorotic stripes along the veins. These chlorotic stripes contrast with dark green tissue when observed against the light. Leaves showing chlorosis eventually die.
CIMMYT

Maize stalk showing brown vascular bundles. — Acremonium maydis
Maize stalk showing brown vascular bundles.
CIMMYT

Wilting in maize plants following flowering. — Acremonium maydis
Wilting in maize plants following flowering.
CIMMYT

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); harvested ears of a bicolor supersweet cultivar. This cultivar has exceptionally long flag leaves. (Scale units = inches.) — Harvested ears
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); harvested ears of a bicolor supersweet cultivar. This cultivar has exceptionally long flag leaves. (Scale units = inches.)
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); these boxes advertise sweetcorn that has been hydrocooled and iced. Cooling sweetcorn quickly after harvest, and keeping it cold, are important for maintaining quality. — Packed corn
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); these boxes advertise sweetcorn that has been hydrocooled and iced. Cooling sweetcorn quickly after harvest, and keeping it cold, are important for maintaining quality.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); high quality, fresh, sweetcorn is a food many people enjoy. — Ready to serve
Zea mays subsp. mays (sweetcorn); high quality, fresh, sweetcorn is a food many people enjoy.
©Elizabeth T. Maynard

Zea mays with zonate leaf spot
CABI

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Copyright © CABI. CABI is a registered EU trademark. This article is published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

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Published online: 20 November 2019

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