Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Zea mays
Maize, Corn
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

  • Magnoliophyta

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: North America

Species Description

General: Monocot, annual

Roots: adventitious, fibrous

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: panicle

Flowers: unisexual, monoecious; 3 merous; complete; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: grain

Physiology: autotrophic; C4 C02 fixation

Reproduction:

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is cultivated and an escapee.

ILPIN Notes: Large size of pollen keeps air-borne transport low. Dry stalks are sometimes used as pulp for cardboard manufacture. See item 7721 on silage-generated NO2 and NO4, and on nitrate accumulation (Kingsbury). Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of the Central United States. Regent Press of Kansas. Lawrence, KA. 265 pp. Species is robust; has pistillate inflorescence axillary; spikelets in 8-25 rows on a woody axis (the cob); styles long and silky. Species has terminal panicle of staminate racemes (tassels); axillary spikes are pistillate. Corn has a long and complex history. "Native" corn was in the Midwest before the arrival of Europeans, but it came from Central America most probably. The corn planted today is a highly derived form incorporating perhaps material from many countries. Species escapes from cultivation frequently, but rarely is persistent.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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